With Our Backs to the Wall (The Darkness Will Fall)
by theirhappystory
Summary: 5 years ago Oliver Queen made a choice to enlist in the Army. Now he's back and things are very different. His parents barely talk, his best friends are dating, and his sister isn't the spirited little girl he remembers. She's grown up and so has her best friend, Felicity Smoak. When a threat is made on Felicity's life, Oliver finds that keeping her at arms length won't be easy.
1. Welcome Home

**Warning: Major Character Age Difference (May/December Relationship)**

...

Chapter 1: Welcome Home, It's a Different Kind of Battlefield

"_Oliver Queen has returned to Starling City. The local billionaire and presumed heir to Fortune 500 Company Queen Consolidated shocked everyone five years ago by enlisting in the U.S. Army. Queen was a regular in the tabloids and a fixture of the local club scene. No one knows where this change of heart came from but we are glad Mr. Queen finished his tour and has come home in one piece. We're sure his family feels the same."_

The town car pulls up in front of Queen Manor and Oliver let's out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. After five years overseas he was finally coming home. The original plan had been a two-year tour with the Army in Afghanistan. His unit, however, had been assigned a special operation halfway through his third year and Oliver had elected to stay with them. Until now.

"Here we are, Mr. Queen. Do you need help with your belongings?"

"No, I've got it. Thanks." Oliver exits the car and grabs the few things he's brought back with him, a duffle bag and a small metal safe box. He walks towards the doors and they ease open when he pushes on them.

"Hello?" Oliver calls out and hears a rushing of feet from upstairs.

"Ollie!" A whirlwind of brown hair and long limbs rushes down the stairs and throws itself at him. He quickly drops his belongings to the ground in order to return the embrace. "I've missed you so much!"

"Me too, Speedy. More than you know." His little, well not so little anymore, sister was one of the people Oliver missed the most. Being back here, having her in his arms, it's almost surreal.

"Ugh, I told you to stop calling me that like twenty letters ago."

"Then you should know by now I'm not going to stop." He grins before really taking the rest of her in. She's changed so much these past five years. The pictures don't do her justice. "When did you grow up on me?"

"Oh don't you start, too. I already get enough of that from Tommy."

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." The voice chimes from the still open doors.

"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver envelops his best friend in a hug, patting him on the back. Until five years ago the two were inseparable. Where either one of them went the other wasn't too far behind.

"Man is it good to see you. By the way, how many numbers did you get in the airport wearing that? Ladies go crazy for a man in uniform." Oliver reaches into his pocket and pulls out a napkin with a number written on it followed by a bright red kiss print.

"I might have to borrow that some time."

"Lending out the uniform in order to get your best friend laid is generally frowned upon."

"Oliver." Oliver turns to see Moira Queen walk in through the parlor.

"Hi, mom. You look beautiful." She wraps her son in a hug and he presses a kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Now come along. Raisa made your favorites for dinner."

They all head to the dining room and upon entering it looks like they are having dinner for twenty. Robert Queen stands at the head of the table.

"Welcome home, Oliver."

"Dad." His hand is extended for Oliver to take and after a brief shake everyone takes his or her seat. Surveying the table he notices the empty seat next to Thea.

"Where's Felicity?"

"Oh she said she had some super important tech problem at QC that just _had_ to be taken care of tonight."

Thea rolls her eyes. While she loves and respects her best friend dearly, she can't help but think the girl needs a hobby that doesn't involve coding and wiring.

"Right, she's interning there this summer isn't she?"

"Yes and she's quickly out shining the rest of the IT department, including her supervisor. It's no wonder she's a year ahead at MIT on full ride."

The pride in Robert's voice does not go undetected. He's always had a soft spot for Felicity. It's something Thea had mentioned over the course of their written conversations when Oliver was away. Thea would always be Robert's little princess but Felicity's intelligence was something he boasted about often.

"Felicity has always been brilliant." In fact, it was one of the first things Oliver noticed about her when they met all those years ago, when she was only twelve and he twenty-four.

"And she never lets anyone forget it." The words escape Thea with fondness.

There's silence for a few minutes as everyone takes their first few bites of dinner before Tommy breaks the silence.

"Alright let's see what you missed. Superbowl: Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. Someone let one of the Kardashians have a kid. Oh and Lost, all dead. I think. It was really unclear."

"Tommy, I was fighting in the war, not stranded on a deserted island."

"You know you were very vague in those letters on how much media exposure you had there."

"I appreciate the sentiment." They exchange a grin, already falling back into their brotherly rhythm.

"Okay, tomorrow you and me, we're taking a tour around the city a la Tommy's new sports car, see how many tickets we can rack up and get you reacquainted with the world."

"Sounds great."

….

"_Get down, kid!" Gunshot rings out and bullets whiz by their faces at alarmingly close distances._

"_She's trapped! We have to get her out of there." Oliver tries to move but he's pushed back against the wall._

"_You're right but we need a plan. Charging across open terrain while under attack isn't going to do us any good. We can't help her if we're dead."_

_Suddenly theirs a loud booming noise and the heat surrounding them flares up tenfold. There's a bright, flashing light and it consumes them, searing their flesh and causing everything else to fade. It's all white and it burns. _

_He can hear her screams mixed with his own._

"_Oliver! OLIVER!"_

"Oliver! Oliver, wake up!"

His instincts kick in. There's a hand on his shoulder and he grabs it, flipping his attacker over his shoulder and onto the floor. His legs straddle the person's waist and his hands close over a slender neck. He squeezes, closing the person's airways and causing her to gasp for air.

"Oliver..." His brain finally identifies the voice. The next second Oliver is scrambling backwards, far away from a wheezing Moira Queen, who is being assisted by her husband.

"I'm sorry! Mom, I'm so sorry!"

They weren't supposed to know about the nightmares. At least not yet when he's so unprepared to talk about it.

"It's okay. I'm alright."

But it's not okay. The way his parents are looking at him right now, it's like they don't even recognize him. He can imagine what they see, his hands shaking and eyes wide. He probably looks like a wild animal to them, barely human.

"Oliver, it's okay, sweetheart."

But it's not. They couldn't save her. She died because they couldn't save her. Okay isn't something he ever expects to be again.

….

"I'm throwing you a welcome home bash at the club. I was thinking 'Murica for the theme. You can even wear your uniform."

"I'm pretty sure wearing the uniform when drinking breaks about twenty different rules." He can't help but laugh at his friend's joking. God, he missed that. "So tell me more about this club. You wrote about it some but I want details."

"Verdant? Once I graduated with my business degree I started looking for real estate for the club. You're dad offered to sell me that old Queen-Steele factory in the Glades. It's only been open for a few months but it's one of the most popular clubs in Starling. We expect to break even with the development costs within the next year or less."

"That's awesome, man. I'm happy it's going so well. Damn, I wish we had thought about that when my parents cut me off."

The freezing of Oliver's trust fund was what instigated his decision to enlist. That seems like a lifetime ago. The Oliver he was then is so different from who he is now.

"So, what'd you miss most? Steaks at the palm? Drinks at the station? Meaningless sex?"

"You know there are women in the Army, Tommy."

"Oh, hey! Now we're getting to the good stuff. I'm gonna need a physical description and list of her… talents."

"I didn't say there was a girl, just that I wasn't surrounded by men all day."

"Uh huh, sure. I'll get you to talk. But you're saved for now because we are here."

The building they pull up to seems out of place in its current setting. Where everything else surrounding it appears dilapidated and unattended, CNRI stands well maintained and clean. Walking in, Oliver and Tommy have to weave their way through cubicles and dodge out of the path of people who are running around holding large stacks of papers and files.

"Ollie!" He smiles at the sound of his best friend's voice and turns around with open arms.

"Hi, Laurel." She takes the few steps between them and wraps her arms around his shoulders. "It's good to see you."

"I missed you so much." She slides down and plants a kiss on his jaw before stepping away.

"What, no love for Tommy?"

"I think you got enough this morning, Merlyn." Laurel rolls her eyes but closes the distance to place a firm kiss on his lips before smiling up at him. "Hi."

That is going to take some getting used to. When Oliver left, everything between the three of them had been strictly platonic. But over the years it seemed Tommy and Laurel had grown closer. So close, in fact, that they now live together. When Tommy wrote Oliver to inform him that they were dating, Oliver had been happy for his two best friends. He knew Tommy had a long-standing crush on Laurel that went on and off throughout the years and he was glad to see that finally come to fruition.

"That's better." Tommy places another peck on her lips before continuing. "You think you'll get enough work done today to stop by Verdant tonight? Can't miss your best friend's coming home party!"

"Yeah, I just have to pull the final prosecution together for the Adam Hunt case. Asshole somehow switched venues to be tried in front of Judge Grou, whose reelection campaign he funded."

"Adam Hunt? That's pretty big. I'm assuming law school went well then?"

Out of everyone who wrote him, besides his parents, Laurel was the least frequent. He knew she had been busy with law school and Tommy would often update him on how she was doing. He didn't blame her.

"Yes. I'm not saying it wasn't hell going through it, but I'm happy here. It was worth the struggle."

"Laurel, we need you to go over the new section of the prosecution."

"Ah, Joanna, looking beautiful as ever." The girl in questions smirks at Tommy's antics.

"You should know by now, Merlyn, that flattery will get you nowhere with me." She hands a file to Laurel, who reads over the front before letting out a sigh.

"And that's my cue. I wish I could talk more but this case…"

"Say no more. See you tonight?" Oliver reaches out to pull her into another hug.

"I'll stop by. It really is so great to see you, Ollie. You look good."

She gives Tommy a kiss goodbye and walks off with Joanna, already discussing the case at a rapid-fire speed only a lawyer can posses.

"Is she normally this busy?"

"You should have seen her when she was still in school. And when the boards came around? Forget it. I think I was having less sex than when I was single."

"That's not really saying much."

"No, I suppose it's not."

They climb into the car and Tommy speeds back to the mansion.

It's a shame; they don't pick up a single speeding ticket on the way.

….

Oliver can feel the bass vibrating throughout his entire body. Multicolored lights strobe and flash about, momentarily blinding him. People are shouting and laughing, colorful drinks in hand. He can see girls wearing barely-there outfits of camo and red white and blue dancing on top of the bar and on platforms. A huge American flag covers the wall behind the DJ. He and Tommy never really were ones to do a party halfway.

Speaking of, Oliver spots his best friend toasting amongst a group of people. He catches his eye and nods in greeting. Tommy signals the DJ to cut the music as he walks over to Oliver, grabbing two shot glasses off of a passing tray.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the man of the hour!" Tommy hands one of the glasses to Oliver and clinks in salute before they both down the clear liquid. Cheers rise up from the partygoers and people raise their glasses. "Now ladies, please, give our brave hero a proper homecoming!" More shouts ring out and Oliver raises a hand in greeting before walking with Tommy to the bar.

"Okay, by my estimate you haven't had sex in 1,839 days. Unless there's something you want to tell me." He gives Tommy a blank look. "Right, so as your wingman might I suggest the fiery hot redhead in the sinfully tight dress?"

"What would Laurel think if she heard this?"

"Hey, this is for you, not me. None of them hold up to Laurel in my eyes."

"Merlyn, I do believe you are thoroughly whipped." Tommy looks as if he's going to protest but only gives him a self-deprecating smile.

"What can I say, man? She's incredible." Oliver would have to agree on that.

Looking around, he catches sight of a blonde at the end of the bar. She's standing by herself with her back to them and running a hand through her slightly curled hair. The royal blue dress she's wearing falls to the floor but her entire back is on display. It's all skin, starting at her shoulders and ending at the base of her spine, the cut just shy of indecent yet still classy.

"I'll be right back."

Before he realizes it Oliver is crossing to the other side of the bar. He walks up behind the girl and briefly places a hand on her back to grab her attention. She turns to face him and he barely gets out a word before she throws her arms around him.

"Oliver!" Wait, he knows that voice. "You're back! I'm so glad you're home!"

He really, really knows that voice but for some reason can't seem to place it. The warmth of the girl in his arms is a bit distracting and he pulls away before something embarrassing happens.

"Ollie! Felicity! I finally found you guys." Oh shit.

"Felicity?"

"What? You go away for five years and forget about everybody? Come on, Oliver, I told you I dyed my hair in one of those letters." Oh fucking shit.

No, this beautiful blonde bombshell cannot be Felicity. Felicity has brown hair and braces and glasses that are slightly too big for her face. She's disproportionate limbs and regularly teasing him with Thea. Felicity is a girl twelve years his junior, not this woman standing before him now. She can't be. Because if she is Felicity, then he just had some very inappropriate thoughts about the girl he and his family have basically adopted as their own.

Did he mention she is twelve years younger than him and best friends with his baby sister?

"Felicity?" He really needs to think of something else to say besides her name.

"Uh, yeah, Felicity. You know, sister's best friend, lives in the mansion, basically part of the family, just finished with her first year at MIT?"

"You okay there, Ollie?" He forgot about the presence of his little sister, his little sister who is only one year younger than Felicity.

"What? Yeah, no, I'm fine just wow you look…" gorgeous, stunning, drop dead sexy "grown up."

But she's not. She's seventeen, almost eighteen if he remembers correctly, and he's thirty. Maybe if he keeps reminding himself of that he'll stop thinking about the heat of her bare skin against his hand for the brief second he touched her back.

"That does tend to happen, big brother. Don't worry, Lis, he gave me the same speech when I first saw him, too."

Now if only he could have the same thoughts about her that he did Thea. It has to be the tequila. Five years without it has made him an extreme lightweight. It's also been awhile and he is a man, those tendencies don't just disappear and unfortunately they don't care about what is and isn't appropriate.

"You look grown up, too." Felicity reaches up to run her fingers through his cropped hair and it is definitely not helping the situation. "No more flow. I kind of like it, makes you look manly." He needs to change the subject right now.

"How did you two get in here?"

"I believe it was somebody who said 'Right this way, Miss Queen'," Thea replies smartly before Felicity chimes in.

"Don't worry, we're not drinking. We just wanted to come celebrate your homecoming." Jesus they're not even old enough to drink.

"Well, _you're_ not drinking." Felicity gives Thea a look. "Just a glass of champagne to celebrate."

"You shouldn't be drinking anything."

"Okay, Felicity and I aren't little kids anymore." He's noticed. He's definitely noticed.

"No, but you are seventeen."

"Hey, I'm almost eighteen. Give it a few weeks and this is totally legal. You know, minus the drinking." All the reminders of just how old, or really how young, Felicity is make Oliver feel like a complete pervert.

"And you're really one to talk, Ollie. Need I remind you of the time you totaled the car mom and dad bought you for your sixteenth birthday? Or when you were arrested for peeing on a cop? Or, hey, how about the party you threw at which Felicity almost drowned?"

The last one causes him to wince. That's something Oliver will never feel he has made up for. There were a lot of stupid things he did as a teenager and a college student but usually no one else was hurt as a result of his actions.

"Thea."

Felicity silently pleads with her to stop. The past few years have been hard for Thea. Hell, they've been hard for Felicity, too. But there's no reason to take it out on Oliver right now.

"Listen, I know it was hard, me not being here."

"You left me! You could have died! And I know you tried with the letters and occasional phone call but it wasn't the same. I love you. But you can't come back and act like you weren't missing from my life for five years. You can't come back and tell me how to live a life you've barely been in." With that Thea turns to walk away, abruptly ending the conversation.

"I'll go talk to her. I'm glad you're back, Oliver."

Felicity rests a hand on his arm before following Thea through the crowd of people, leaving Oliver dazed and confused. Part of him wonders when the fuck he stopped thinking about Felicity as his kid sister's best friend but an even bigger part wants to know where all this anger in Thea is coming from.

"The brave soldier returns home from battle." Oliver turns at the sound of the familiar voice and can't help but grin.

"Sara Lance, how have you been?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I bet you have some serious war stories you can share with the class." She leans in close and places a hand on his bicep. "And the muscles to match apparently."

Oliver laughs and takes a step closer. He and Sara are both familiar with this dance. They used to do it often and the ending results were always satisfying. And like he said, it's been awhile.

"I heard you just opened your own athletic training complex. That's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, you should come check it out. I also teach self-defense lessons. Maybe you can come in, show us some of your macho Army man moves."

"I don't know, some of those are top secret. It might cost you." Her hand trails down his arm and their fingers intertwine.

"I think we can arrange something."

….

Oliver looks over to the other side of his bed and finds Sara fast asleep. A glance at the clock tells him it's almost four in the morning. Any normal human being would be asleep right now, especially with the workout he and Sara just participated in. But sleep is something he has learned to go without since joining the Army. Truth be told, he doesn't think he could sleep for long even if he tried.

Getting up, Oliver pulls the sheets over Sara so she's covered. Their clothes are strewn about the room and he collects them, silently laughing at her bra hanging off his ceiling fan. After he's folded her clothes and left them in a pile on the bedside table, Oliver pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and wanders downstairs for a snack before taking a seat on the couch in the parlor and turning on the TV.

His mindless viewing is interrupted by the sound of a collision and muffled cursing. Felicity stands behind him, holding onto the model ship she almost knocked over when she spotted Oliver and collided with the table.

"Oh my God, Oliver, you scared me!" She places a hand over her chest to calm her frantically beating heart. There's usually no one up in the mansion at this time of night.

"Sorry. I don't sleep much these days."

She's traded out her contacts for glasses and the dress she was wearing for a pair of pajama shorts and what looks suspiciously like a t-shirt he once had. Her curly blonde hair has been pulled back into a sloppy updo. She looks more like the Felicity he remembers from five years ago but he's still hit by the realization of how beautiful she's become. The desire he felt when he saw her at the club doesn't return in full force and he takes this as a good sign. Chalk it up to the shock of seeing her the first time and how much she's grown.

"My dad didn't sleep well after his first tour either. I mean, I'm not assuming that that's why _you_ can't sleep or anything. You might just be overwhelmed by tonight and hopped up on adrenaline or something. Not something like drugs something just something else not related to illegal substances." She bites her lip to stop her rambling and Oliver finds himself momentarily distracted.

"What are you doing awake? I thought you would be in bed right now."

"Oh, yeah, I woke up with a headache. Thought I would come down and grab a glass of water, take a couple aspirins." She wasn't a very good liar when she was twelve and he's happy to see at least that hasn't changed.

"Felicity…" He's willing to guess whom the water and pain relievers are really for.

"Don't be mad at Thea, okay? Not having you here was really hard on her, even if she does understand why you chose what you did. I think this last year was especially difficult. She's taking her SATs and looking at colleges. I haven't been here because of MIT and your parents have been busting ass at QC. It's just been a hard year for her."

"She's not the only one it's been tough on. How are you holding up? And don't say you're-"

"I'm fine."

"We both know that's not how you really feel. Sit down, talk to me." She hesitates before rounding the couch and sitting on the opposite end.

They weren't this close before he left. He had only known her a few months before his deployment. But Felicity was one of those people you wanted to talk to. She always listened with genuine interest and spoke with kind honesty. From their first meeting Oliver had found it easy to open up to her, despite the large age difference. Truthfully, sometimes he would forget just how young she was because of the maturity and intelligence with which she spoke.

"What do you want me to say?"

"How is everything with your mom?"

"I… wouldn't really know. I haven't gone to visit her very often. Her trial is coming up in a few weeks though."

"Is that something you want to be there for?"

The relationship between mother and daughter has always been rocky. Karen Smoak was not maternal by nature. She was brilliant, cutting, and what women in business aspired to be. A mother on the other hand, not so much. Felicity had been unplanned and while she had no doubt that her mother loved her, she also knew Karen's priorities. They had a system to their interactions but after her mother took the job in Central City and Felicity chose to live with the Queens, their relationship was reduced to minimal, obligatory contact.

"I don't know. She's my mother and although she wasn't the best, she tried. There's nobody else to support her besides me."

Sitting there, she looks so small, helpless and Oliver remembers that she's only seventeen, too young to have gone though what she has.

"Hey, it's all going to be okay." He reaches out to take a hold of the hand that's resting between them and smiles down at her.

"Ollie?"

Both of their heads swivel towards the entryway. Sara is standing there in the button down shirt Oliver wore earlier tonight and nothing else from what he can tell.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had company." Felicity jumps up from the couch, cheeks turning red. "I'm just going to get that water and head up stairs. Uhm, yeah, okay goodnight, Oliver." Flustered, she escapes the room squeaking out an apology as she passes Sara, who only smiles at her before walking over to stand in front of Oliver.

"She's cute." There's a slight question to her tone.

"_She_ is Felicity Smoak, Thea's best friend who has been living here for the past two years. Her mother is Karen Smoak."

Recognition flits across Sara's face. Karen's arrest had been all over the news when it occurred and with the upcoming trial the coverage has been picking back up again.

"I woke up and you weren't there. If I remember correctly, that only happens when we spend the night at my place."

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep." She frowns at that.

"You want to talk about it?"

She's offering and it's genuine but he knows she won't push him either way. Sara would listen if you wanted her to but she was also more than okay with not talking.

"I can think of better things we can do than talk."

Oliver reaches out and grabs her hips, pulling her into his lap. She giggles before pressing her lips to his neck and running her nails lightly along his arms.

He quickly forgets about Thea and Felicity and his nightmares and loses himself in sensation.

...

**Author's Note: **

**So what does everyone think? This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic and I have it fully outlined for the most part. I'm excited to share this 'verse I've come up with and I hope everyone else is, too.**

**Also, the rating will most likely go up once later chapters are posted. (You all know what that means. *wink*)**

**As always comments/questions/concerns are always appreciated.**

**Thank you for reading and starting this journey with me! I hope you all enjoy it :)**  
**- B**


	2. I Am Not My Father's Son

**Author Note**:

**I realize the age difference is unsettling to some and that's part of the point. It's unsettling to Oliver, too. To put it into perspective, Emily Bett and Stephen Amell have a ten-year age gap in real life. So it's actually not that far off from reality. Also, I promise there will be NO underage shenanigans. In my opinion, your experiences and attitude towards life speak so much more for you maturity than the number of years you've been around. I have met seventeen year olds who are much more mature than some twenty years olds I know. **

**But, if it makes you uncomfortable and you don't want to continue reading then I am in no way offended. I know it is not everyone's cup of tea.**

**Also, here is Felicity's work outfit on Polyvore: /felicity_breakfast_1st_day_oliver/set?id=116845374&lid=3451805**

...

Chapter 2: I Am Not My Father's Son, I Am My Own Man

He wakes up the next morning to an empty bed and a note on the bedside table where Sara's clothes had been.

_Last night was fun. Thanks for showing me some of your new Army moves._

_- Sara_

Shaking his head in amusement, Oliver rolls out of bed to get dressed. He pulls on a pair of athletic shorts and one of his Army t-shirts then heads out to take a run around the property. It's only been two days that he's been home and already he is getting antsy. His body craves physical exertion after so many years of knowing only such.

Oliver jogs through the garden and across the yard. He doesn't have an exact route planned, but figures he'll just keep going and at some point turn back when the muscle fatigue starts to set in. It's hot out, especially for seven in the morning and he can feel the perspiration begin to trickle down his face. It's still nowhere near as hot as it was in Afghanistan. This is child's play compared to the heat he experience there.

About fifteen minutes into his run, Oliver finds himself at one of the tree lines on the property. This place is familiar to him. It brings back memories of when he was little, playing with Tommy and Laurel in the tree house they built, and when he was not so little, sneaking back here during parties to make out with whoever caught his eye that night. He cuts through the trees and finds the wooden structure that was his own escape all those years ago.

After checking the ladder's stability, he climbs the wooden rungs into the house. He thought it would be neglected, aged and broken down from years of disuse. Thea had used it for a while, once Oliver decided he was too old for this kind of thing, but she too had grown out of it. Instead what he finds is much more intriguing. Someone has placed a carpet on the floor and a very small cupboard in the corner.

Opening it, he finds books. There is an odd mix of genres. Classic novels and sci-fi titles line the two shelves. It's stocked to the brim, books lying in every direction so they can all fit. The _Introduction to Coding Theory_ catches his eye and he pulls it out from the stack. Opening it he finds little handwritten notes, some elaborating on the text and others marking a certain section of interest. It has to belong to Felicity.

The thought of her coming here and using this place as a sanctuary brings a warmth to Oliver's chest that he rarely feels anymore. He spends a few minutes reading some of her notes. For someone who he remembers can be so analytical the scribbles he finds hold a personal vibe to them. Oliver even finds himself chuckling at what she's written. After a few minutes, he puts the book away and exits the tree house. It's getting hotter by the minute and he's eager to get inside for breakfast and a nice, long shower. He doubles back, heading for the manor.

Entering through one of the side doors, Oliver catches the smell of breakfast coming from the kitchen. When he walks through the kitchen entryway, the sight that greets him is almost comical. Thea is sitting at the table, hair tangled and knotted and head lying on top of her folded arms. There's a plate in front of her, far enough that he assumes she pushed it away, with a couple pieces of toast and a glass of orange juice adjacent to it.

Next to her sits Felicity, looking the exact opposite of his sister. Her curly blonde hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, glasses perched on the top of her nose. She alternates between taking bites of her bacon and eggs and sipping on her coffee. Felicity's tablet sits next to her and she taps it occasionally while she reads. He's momentarily distracted when she nibbles on her lower lip in concentration, painted a bright shade of red.

"Mister Oliver, would you care for some breakfast?" Raisa's question breaks him out of his staring and he turns to see she's already bringing him a plate.

"I missed you, Raisa."

"No gourmet kitchen in the Army?"

"No, not quite." He takes the plate she offers to him and places a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you."

"Good morning, Speedy." He can't help taunting her as he takes his place at the table on her other side, across from Felicity.

"NO. There are no such things." Her arms muffle her response.

"That's what happens when-" Thea shoots up faster than he thought possible in her current state. She wobbles a little, lightheaded and slightly nauseous at the sudden movement.

"You know what, I think I'll skip out on breakfast this morning." Then she's gone without another word.

Oliver stares at the empty chair in confusion. He thought that whatever had gone on between them last night would be forgotten. They used to fight all the time when they were younger, just like any other siblings. Disagreements usually blew over after they had both slept on it.

"She's still letting off steam from last night. Give her some time." Felicity studies him from her seat and takes a sip of her coffee.

"I didn't realize she was so angry about this."

"Don't worry. Thea will come around eventually. She always does."

They spend a few moments in silence as Oliver digs into his breakfast and Felicity continues to sip her coffee while reading whatever is on her tablet.

"You know coffee stunts your growth, right?"

"I think I lost all hope of growing past 5' 4'' two years ago. Plus it was either this or constantly falling asleep at really inconvenient times and places. I'm pretty sure I've doubled my intake this summer. This internship is kicking my butt."

As she says this, the last of her coffee runs out and she pours herself another cup from the pot sitting on the table.

"I'm sure if you said something to my father he would help."

She shouldn't be working herself so hard. Especially when she barely slept last night.

"No. I refuse to be treated differently from any other intern just because I live with the CEO and have a certifiable genius IQ. That reminds me, MENSA contacted me the other day. I should probably call them back."

"Still, you had a long night. I'm sure they would understand if you took a day off."

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter because I'm going in. Right now actually."

Felicity stands and shoves her tablet in her bag before crossing the kitchen to grab a thermos from one of the cabinets. Her outfit instantly grabs Oliver's attention. She's wearing some kind of light blue button down but what really gets him is the skirt and her bright red heels, specifically what they do to her legs. They're long and toned and he briefly imagines what it would be like to have them wrapped around his waist. His breath catches when she rocks forward onto her toes in order to reach the thermos on its shelf. The motion pulls her skirt just an inch higher, exposing more of her bare legs.

Fuck. He really needs to stop thinking about her like this. He feels like a perverted old man. Luckily she turns around and he's forced to focus on her face again.

"Bye, Oliver!" She throws him a smile and a little wave before hurrying out the door.

Maybe he'll go into Queen Consolidated today. Just to see how she is holding up after her late night.

….

Sure enough as lunchtime rolls around Oliver finds himself checking in at the security desk of the company. The man, or should he say boy, at the front desk barely glances at him. It's a bit concerning seeing as they've had incidents before with protesters sneaking in. Oliver brushes it off as the kid recognizing him from the news and steps into the elevator to meet his mother on the executive floor.

Moira meets him as the elevator opens and leads him down the hall.

"Oliver, sweetheart, I'm so glad you wanted to come in today. As you can see we've modernized quite a bit."

They enter an office with all glass walls. Robert is standing behind one of the desks and crosses over to greet them.

"I remember when I brought you in with me as a boy. You were always so excited."

"Yeah, well, you let me drink soda in here." They exchange tight smiles.

"We have been working on diversifying the company to expand our pool of investors. Currently we have cutting edge developments underway in the fields of clean energy and defensive technology." Oliver isn't really paying attention until Robert mentions the last part.

"Defensive technology?"

"Yes, that's something your father and I would like to talk to you about. Why don't you take a seat, son?"

"It makes me nervous when you ask me that. I'll stand."

Robert and Moira exchange a look. Their son was never the nervous type and he definitely wasn't the type to own up to it on the rare occasion that he was. They thought this proposition would be easy but now, talking with Oliver, it might not be the case.

"Son, Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division is looking to enter a contract with Defense Technology. Currently, the department is working very hard to create prototypes of less invasive, less lethal technologies of war. Your mother and I want you to take up the position as Department Chair and oversee the project."

"No." He doesn't even give it a second of consideration. "No, this is exactly what drove me to join the Army. You two have always pushed me to take over this company, to follow in dad's footsteps. I don't want this life."

"Darling, we're not asking you to taking over the company. There's not hidden agenda. You are the best-equipped and most experienced person we know for the job. You have first hand knowledge of the military and their weaponry and the situations they will be used in. This project would grow so much under your supervision."

"Mom-"

"Just think about it. We aren't asking for you to make a solid decision today."

"Mr. Queen, the food you ordered has arrived." Robert's assistant pops her head through the door, take-out bag in hand.

"I didn't-"

"I did. I thought I would visit Felicity for lunch while I was here." Oliver takes the bag from the assistant then turn to face his parents. "I'll think about the offer."

He travels down the eighteen floors to the IT department where Felicity has her internship. It's the first time he's ever stepped foot in here and he has to stop multiple employees to ask where he can find her. Finally he reaches the alcove he was told he could find the interns in.

She's the only one there and he assumes the other interns are on their lunch break, where she should also be. Instead Oliver finds her working diligently with her back to him. Her ponytail swings back and forth as her focus shifts between computers and paperwork. She's so immersed in her what she's doing that she doesn't notice his arrival.

"Felicity Smoak."

Felicity spins around in her chair and he almost groans. Her red lips are wrapped around a pen she was absentmindedly chewing on. Luckily she pulls it away and places it on the desk before his mind can truly wander and looks up at him questioningly.

"Hi! What can I do for you, Mr. Queen?" He's still slightly distracted by her mouth and her cherry red lipstick.

His pants definitely weren't this tight when he left the mansion this morning. Fuck, what is he, a twelve-year-old boy? No, a part of him reminds himself, he is thirty and she is seventeen. The age difference between her and a twelve-year-old is less than the one between the two of them. He winces at that.

"Someone mentioned that this internship was a bit taxing. I thought I would swing by and force you to take a break."

"That's nice of you, Mr. Queen, but I really do have a lot of work to get done." She needs to stop calling him that.

"First of all, Mr. Queen is my father. You don't have to be formal with me. Second, you've probably noticed that my name is on the side of this building. I think your boss will be okay with you spending your lunch break with me." There's a look of contemplation on her face before it breaks out into a smile.

"Okay, what did you bring me?"

He holds up the bag so she can see the logo for a local burger joint, Big Belly Burger.

"Oh you sure know a way to a girl's heart. Figuratively. I don't have like a crush on you or anything. I'm just thankful that you brought me food, really delicious food that I have been craving for days. But you didn't come down here to listen to me babble, which I promise will end in 3, 2, 1…"

He can't stop the grin from breaking out across his face. The babbling is so Felicity he can't help it. She's done that since the moment he met her. Reaching out, he pulls one of the rolling chairs over next to her and plops the bag down on her desk, unloading its contents so they can start eating. Felicity breaks the silence a few bites in.

"So, what else brought you down here?"

"What?"

"You seemed kind of broody and 'grrrr' when you first walked in. What gives?"

"I wasn't brooding."

"Yes, you were. You listened to me last night, now it's your turn to spill."

He contemplates whether to tell her or not. She already has so much on her plate. Oliver's family problems shouldn't be added to that list. But she looks so genuine and talking to Felicity is easy so he finds himself opening up despite his qualms.

"My parents offered me a spot in the company."

"And that's bad because…"

"The whole reason I joined the Army was because my parents kept pushing me to become my father. They wanted me to become CEO and I didn't. They froze my funds because I wasn't taking it seriously."

"I remember that. It was the same day we met."

"Right. I thought that these past five years would make them realize that just because I didn't want to follow their path didn't mean I was being irresponsible and immature. To some extent, I think it did but there is still a part of them that wants this for me."

"What's the position they offered?"

"They want me to head some project in the Applied Sciences Division. Something about a partnership with Defense Technology and safer weaponry."

"Sounds exactly like your cup of tea."

"It is and I think if it were any other company offering I would take it."

"Is it going to make you happy? Are you going to be proud of the work you do?"

"Yes. From what they briefly told me, the goal is to produce less evasive and less lethal defense mechanisms. This could prevent a lot of war causalities, specifically civilian casualties."

"Then there's your answer. Take the position. Just make it clear to your parents that you won't take any other roles. Draw the line so they know where you stand."

There's a pressure on his hand and Oliver realizes that at some point in the conversation Felicity covered it with her own. When he looks back up, she's dipping the last bite of her hamburger in ketchup before popping it in her mouth. It leaves a smudge of sauce at the corner of her lips and he can't help but stare.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

"Yeah, actually you have ketchup right here." He gestures in the general direction of it and she reaches up to wipe it off.

"Did I get it?"

"No."

Again she raises her hand and wipes at her cheek, just missing the red smudge.

"Did I get it that time?"

"No, here let me…"

Before he realizes what he's doing, Oliver reaches up and wipes the ketchup away with his thumb. It grazes her bottom lip and he hears Felicity's breath catch in her throat. Her tongue sweeps out to wet her lips, thoroughly distracting him from whatever he was doing. Both of their breaths start to come in faster, shallower. He finally tears his eyes away from her mouth to look into hers and he swallows hard at the dark blue they've become.

"Oliver…" She doesn't say his name so much as breathe it in a sigh.

"Hey, Felicity, you still working on that processor?"

The spell is broken and the two jump apart as fast as possible. Felicity's supervisor rounds the corner as she's righting the drink she just knocked over. Fortunately for her there wasn't much left in the cup and she fixes it fast enough that nothing leaks out.

"Oh, Mr. Queen, how are you today? What brings you to IT?" The man is older, in his late-forties with black, slightly balding hair and a small beer gut.

"I'm fine, thank you. I just stopped by to have lunch with Felicity. I hope that's not a problem…" He looks at the man's company ID. "Mr. Andrews."

"Not a problem at all, sir. Take all the time you need. Felicity, don't worry about getting that processor done today. It can wait." Oliver throws her a pointed look, to which she rolls her eyes in reply, but she seems distracted.

"Thank you, Mr. Andrews but I'm almost done. It should be finished by this afternoon."

"Good. The other interns should be back soon."

It's a reminder for Felicity that her lunch break is nearly over. She turns to organize her desk and clean up the remainder of her lunch with Oliver as Mr. Andrews walks away. That leaves her alone with Oliver. She slows down her cleaning, hoping he will take the hint and leave.

"Uhm, I'm gonna go."

"Yeah, yeah that's probably a good idea."

"I'll see you at the mansion for dinner?"

"Yup, I'll be there." The air between them is tense and awkward as Oliver decides it's time for him to make his exit.

"Bye, Felicity."

As Oliver walks down the hall to the elevator, he can't help but recall what happened less than five minutes ago. Or what almost happened. It's so easy for him to forget about everything else when he's talking to Felicity. He forgets that he's damaged. He forgets that she's so young. He forgets the other million reasons why this attraction he has to her is a bad idea.

Maybe he just needs to get laid… again. Oliver reaches into his pocket for his phone but drops it back before he has a chance to pull it out fully. He runs his hands through his hair, sighing in frustration, as he rides the elevator down.

This has got to get sorted out, fast.

...

**Note:** **So hopefully that gave you more insight into why Oliver joined the Army. We will delve deeper into that and all other story lines as the story progresses. Also, this is sort of a short chapter. The next few get progressively longer. I won't be posting twice in a week anymore but I wanted to get this off the ground a little bit. I'm excited to get to the good stuff :)**

**Let me know what you think!**

**- B**


	3. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has already favorited/followed this story. It really means a lot to me :)**

...

Chapter 3: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

"Mr. Queen!"

"Mr. Queen, over here!"

"What's it like being back home?"

"Oliver, look this way!"

"Is it true you wear a prosthetic leg?"

"What was it like going from pampered billionaire to suffering military man?"

"Are you priming to take over your family's company?"

"Mr. Queen!"

Oliver has been back for over a week and the paparazzi are still on his tail. Currently, he is one his way to meet up with Tommy for dinner. This is definitely something that he did not miss during his enlistment; the constant flashing of cameras in his face and public scrutiny always bothered him. It was an invasion of his privacy, what little he had. Luckily, Oliver makes his way to Table Salt without major incident and is quickly shown to the table Tommy is already sitting at.

"Sorry I'm late, damn paps are still on my tail. I've been home for a week. You would think the attention would have died down by now."

"Don't sweat it. I'm kind of amazed actually. They haven't realized how serious and boring you've gotten."

The waitress arrives at the table then, interrupting to take their drink orders. Tommy asks her to bring them each a scotch on the rocks and put it on his tab. Oliver raises a questioning eyebrow at his best friend.

"What's the occasion?"

"My best friend just came back from five years of fighting in the war. Isn't that occasion enough?"

Tommy seems slightly on edge but after years of being his best friend, Oliver knows not to push it. Tommy will tell him what's going on his own time, when he's ready.

"Sure…"

The waitress arrives with their drinks and takes their orders. Once she leaves, the two fall into comfortable conversation. Tommy tries to catch him up on pop culture that he's missed out on and attempts yet again to drag war stories out of Oliver. They've exchanged a few over the years but nothing overtly specific. He couldn't risk giving away his location or his unit's operation.

"Come on. You don't have any intense stories of war? Any valiant act of bravery to share that might just be your trump card with the ladies?"

….

"_We've got to do something!"_

"_We can't, kid. If we do we're both as good as dead. There's no saving her if we're not around to do it."_

_More gunshots go off and they press tighter to the wall behind them. He can hear her screaming in the distance._

"_Fall back, fall back." The sound of their commanding officer orders through the coms._

"_No! They still have her."_

"_There's nothing else we can do right now. Fall back." Oliver contemplates ignoring him. "That's an order, Queen."_

….

No, any acts of bravery he committed have been washed away by his ultimate act of cowardice.

"Hey, Ollie, where'd you go man?"

"Hmm? Sorry, I just zoned out a little. Coming back here has been… overwhelming to say the least." That would be the understatement of the year.

"Don't worry about it. I understand. I've been kind of distracted lately myself." The nervousness from earlier returns to Tommy's posture. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about something."

"What's going on? Is everything okay? Is it Laurel?"

"Yeah, yeah everything is okay. More than okay actually. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I uh…" He pauses to steady himself before continuing. "I'm going to ask Laurel to marry me. At the CNRI fundraiser next week."

"Congratulations, man, that's awesome." A grin makes it's away across Oliver's face and he can see the tension leave Tommy as he exhales in relief.

"You mean it?"

"Of course. You two are my best friends. I'm glad you guys are happy together."

"Thanks. I haven't talked to anyone about it. Oliver, I have never been this nervous in my life. What if she says no? I don't know what I would do if she turned me down. I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"Tommy, Laurel is not going to turn you down. She's going to say yes and you are going to have a small, no nonsense wedding at Laurel's insistence. You will settle down together, she'll become a hot-shot lawyer and the bread winner of the family, and you'll stay home with the kids during the day while managing the club at night."

"Yeah, yeah you're right." Tommy gets this dreamy look on his face and Oliver rolls his eyes at his crazy-in-love friend.

His best friend is getting married to the woman of his dreams and Oliver is sitting around having inappropriate thoughts about blonde seventeen-year-old girls in short skirts. Well, one blonde seventeen-year-old girl. And her skirts aren't _that_ short. He groans internally at his mind's justification. It's still creepy.

"To you and Laurel." He salutes Tommy with his glass.

"To me and Laurel." Their glasses clink and the amber liquid tumbles down the back of their throats.

"Ugh, five years without alcohol and I'm starting to question how we consumed more of it than water on the weekends and still lived."

"Lightweight."

God, he had missed Tommy. Tommy was his best friend, his brother in every important sense of the word. There wasn't a time Oliver had been in trouble that Tommy wasn't right there with him, either getting him out of it or taking just as much of the blame. They had been thrown together at a young age, both their parents owning sizeable and prominent businesses in Starling City. Oliver and Tommy were there for each other through everything. They were each other's entertainment during boring galas or fundraisers their parents had forced them to go to. When either of their parents had to leave town for business, the other's stepped forward and offered a place to stay. Oliver had been there for Tommy when his mother had died and Tommy had been there for Oliver when his parents had cut him off. Sitting across from him now, Oliver realized just how much he had missed his easygoing, enthusiastic best friend.

"So, what's going on with you? Rumor has it you've been seen around QC lately. Anything I should know about?"

"I'm not planning on taking over the company if that's what you mean. I know what it takes to run a successful business and I don't have it."

"Then what's with the gossip mags?"

"I may not be planning on becoming CEO, but my parents offered me a position in QC's Applied Sciences division. The company is looking to create less lethal weaponry and partner with DefenseTech, which deals with military personnel. They asked me to head the project."

"Are you going to? It sounds like you would be the perfect fit."

"There's someone I need to talk to about it, one of my friends and a brother in arms. He was the one who showed me the Army was an option I had if I was serious about shaping up and getting my life together. He also ended up being my commanding officer."

"The guy you met at the police station that night I bailed you out? The same one who stopped you from destroying that douchebag in the bar that was hitting on Laurel?"

"Yeah. He's dealt with DefenseTech before and I think he would have the most insight, give me the most detail about it."

"Have you considered that maybe this is your parents trying to work you back into being heir to the company?"

"I told them I wouldn't do it if that was their agenda. I'll work on this project and some security details but that's it. When I was talking about it with Felicity she suggested I make it extremely clear where I stand."

"Speaking of, have you noticed how hot Felicity's gotten?" A flash of something, Oliver decides to call it annoyance, shoots through him and it must show on his face because Tommy quickly backtracks. "Because I have not."

At least Oliver's not the only one to notice her physical appearance. It makes him feel a little less like a pervert. Although he doubts that Tommy's thoughts are anywhere near as inappropriate as his.

"She's definitely grown up since I saw her last."

"Did she tell you about the tattoo?"

"What?"

His whole body stiffens slightly. Felicity has a tattoo. Before he can stop it, his mind flashes to the different places it could be. The ink must be somewhere easy to conceal because he hasn't noticed it. Images play through his head of the bare skin of her back in the dress she wore at his welcome home party. He doesn't recall seeing a tattoo that night; if he had he would have remembered.

"Yeah, her and Thea begged me to take them since they're not old enough to go alone."

"Thea has a tattoo?" His reaction to that information is entirely different from the one he had to the realization about Felicity.

"No, I think she got something pierced, belly button or something. Not exactly sure seeing as my hand was being held in Felicity's death grip. My fingers were blue by the end of it, which thankfully didn't take that long. It was a pretty small piece."

"What was it?" It's completely out of innocent curiosity that he asks the question.

"An arrow, right above her hipbone. She didn't say why, just that she had been thinking about it for a while now. I didn't question her on it. It's Felicity; she doesn't make stupid, rash decisions so I wasn't too worried."

"Oh, cool." He really can't think of anything else to say because his mind is in overdrive thinking about that mark on her body. Then another thought occurs to him. "You let my baby sister get her belly button pierced?"

"Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Tommy has to make a quick getaway when he and Oliver are finished with dinner. Laurel called him right after they asked for the check. He didn't explain to Oliver what was going on, just that everything was fine and she just wanted him home to spend time with her. Still, Oliver can swear he hears Tommy grumble something about chocolate and heating pads and Ryan Gosling as he leaves.

….

Oliver is just pulling on his shirt upstairs in his bedroom when Thea walks in.

"How did you get those?" Shit. He had forgotten to close the door and didn't hear her arrival soon enough. Oliver tries in vain to tug the shirt closed but it's too late.

"Don't you knock?" It comes out harsher than he intends to but Thea is not deterred. She reaches up to push the sides of his shirt away, revealing his scarred physique.

"No, wait, you said you had some close calls but…" He stands there in resignation as she surveys the damage that has been done to his body. "Oliver, what happened to you over there?"

….

"_She's a prisoner of war now. We have to abide by the protocol."_

"_They are torturing her! We can't just sit here and do nothing!"_

"_We're not doing nothing. We're strategizing. We are figuring out the safest way we can to get her out of there."_

"_And while we sit here and strategize she's out there being violated and tormented."_

"_She's important to all of us. We are all a part of the same unit. It would do you well to get a grip and remember your place before you question my authority, Private."_

_There's a tense moment between them and Oliver knows he's lost this one._

"_Yes, Sir." Turning on his heel he makes to leave the tent when his commanding officer calls out, in a less harsh tone._

"_Oliver, we'll bring her back." He walks out._

….

"I don't want to talk about it." Thea let's go and Oliver quickly does up the buttons of his shirt.

"Of course you don't. Now that you're back you don't want to talk to me about anything. Unless it's to be a completely hypocritical asshole about what I do in my free time." She stares him down for a moment, daring him to say something. When he doesn't respond she spins around to leave.

"Wait… I'm sorry, Thea." Turning back, Thea gives him a blank look.

"For which part? The not talking or being a hypocritical asshole?"

"Both. I know I need to get better about talking about what happened. But I don't think I'm ready just yet."

"You know after you left, things were hard. I could hear mom and dad fighting and I know that's not new but it got worse because they were fighting about you. It was dad's idea to cut you off, you know. She blamed him for your decision to join the Army, to leave us and go somewhere that could easily get you killed. Then they just stopped talking altogether and avoided each other unless there was some fundraiser or QC event. The house got so quiet and there was no one for me to talk to." Her breath hitches slightly before she continues.

"So I started writing to you but I never told you about mom and dad. I didn't want you to blame yourself because it wasn't your fault. I wrote stupid stuff, like what I was doing that day or what boy I had a crush on and it helped. But it wasn't enough. Then Felicity moved in here. When she told me about her mom taking the job in Central City, I was devastated. You had just been gone a year and now I was going to lose my best friend, too. I went to mom and dad, told them what was happening, and they offered for Felicity to stay with us, here in Starling. She moved in and I had someone to talk to. I told her about the fighting and how much I missed you and she understood what I was feeling because she had gone through the same thing when her dad left for his second tour. Only sometimes that scared me because he didn't come back. But you did and you're here now but the truth is I've never felt further away from you than I do right now."

"Thea, I – "

"No, look I understand that what you went through was hard. But it was hard here, too." Thea takes a step closer. "You have to let me in, Ollie. You have to let someone in."

But he can't. He can't tell anyone about what happened. Thea can see it in his eyes that he's not going to say anything, so she walks away.

Oliver isn't sure how he got here or why but minutes later he finds himself standing at the foot of the tree that holds his old tree house. He climbs the ladder to the entrance but freezes when he sees someone inside.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't think anyone would be up here."

"No! No, it's okay. You can come in, if you want. I mean obviously you don't need my permission since it's your tree house. But uh yeah come in. There might not be a lot of room though. Not that we would be doing anything that requires a lot of room."

Felicity stutters through the end of her reply and quickly distracts herself with putting away the book she had out in front of her.

"It's fine. I was just thinking and ended up here."

"I do that a lot. Come here to think that is, not ending up in random places."

"Yeah, I understood what you meant." He smiles softly at her and the blush that's made its way across her cheeks.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what were you thinking about?"

"Thea and I had a bit of a… heated discussion."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He thinks about the conversation he just had with his sister. She was right. He needs to talk to somebody, to let somebody in. But he was right too. He's not ready to share his story, to talk about how he was responsible for the death of not one but two people who became such an important part of his life and his growth.

"Yeah, actually. Is mint chip still your favorite ice cream?"

Apparently part of him wants to open up to her anyway.

Twenty minutes later, after making the trek from the tree house to the kitchen and up to his room, Oliver and Felicity are seated on his couch. A carton of min chip sits between them and they each have a spoon in their hands. They forewent the bowls, choosing to pass the carton back and fourth between them instead.

"Mmmm… This is better than I remember."

"No ice cream for the brave soldiers, huh? What a shame. You're doing us a service, the least they could do is reward you with ice cream."

"Do you think you're cute?"

Because Oliver does. He thinks she's so unbelievably cute and he can't help but smile at her.

"Maybe just a little." Felicity holds her fingers up to mime the word and she squints slightly behind her glasses. He finds his smile widening to an all out grin. "Whoa there! Be careful with those things. You might blind someone with their pearly whiteness." He laughs, full out laughs at her teasing and she smiles to herself in satisfaction. "Not to say that I'm not enjoying this, because it's mint chip who wouldn't, but this isn't exactly talking."

"Words are being exchanged. I'm pretty sure that's what talking is."

"Oliver. Tell me what's going on?"

She grabs his spoon and hers and sticks them into the ice cream before setting the carton on the small table behind the couch. Turning back she gives him a look that says he has her undivided attention.

"My sister pointed out to me that I might have been a little distant lately." She gives him a nod because, yeah. he's been pretty much avoiding her since he visited her office/cubicle/Intern Corner last week. "She said that it might be good if I let someone in. The problem is, I don't think I'm ready to do that. I'm not ready to talk about some of the things that happened over there."

"So don't talk about that, yet. Talk about something else. I know other things happened over there that made you stronger, made you the person you are now. You talked about some of it in your letters. Not everything over there was all pain all the time. But if that's hitting too close to home then talk about, I don't know, your family or QC. Have you decided what you're going to do officially about your parents' offer?"

"After five years, I have plans. One of my friends is starting up a private security service. It's based here, in Starling. I can't do that if I'm at board meetings and stuck behind a desk."

"You're parents aren't asking you to become CEO. If they do try that, just say no. Ultimately you need to do what makes you happy. A position as CEO may pay well and look good on paper, but I put happiness over money any day."

She's always been smart. Actually, smart is an understatement. She's down right brilliant and Oliver is pretty sure he remembers her mentioning multiple intelligence agencies contacting her at some point in one of her rambling letters. Hers were always the longest because she wrote like she spoke, genuine and a mile a minute without restraint.

"What else is bothering you?"

"Thea. I didn't know things were so hard for her here with my parents and me leaving. She never mentioned any of that before."

"You had to know it was going to be hard on her. Thea practically worshipped you when I first met her. I'm pretty sure she mentioned you within the first ten minutes of our introduction. You call her Speedy for a reason."

"I know. I knew it was going to be tough but I figured she would get over it. She had you and Tommy and mom and dad. She was so excited to start middle school at that new academy. I thought she would get over me leaving when the school year began."

"Oliver, she never got over you leaving and then when you extended your tour, she was so furious. I listened to her for hours until she finally just cried. I was there for her in the best way that I could be even though what she really needed were her parents."

"But instead they were fighting because I left."

"Actually at that point I'm pretty sure they had started avoiding each other."

"If I had known, I would've – "

"You would have what Oliver? Ditched out on your unit and come home? Packed your bags and said 'see you later alligator' and walked away? No. There's nothing you could have done and there's nothing you needed to do because this wasn't your fault. You made your choices and your parents made theirs. How they chose to deal with it, or not deal with it, is on them. You can't take responsibility for every little thing that goes wrong with the people around you."

Felicity sits back with an air of finality and snatches the mostly melted ice cream from the table.

"You know, for a seventeen-year-old, you're pretty smart."

"For the record, I turn eighteen in less than two months. Also, smart is kind of insulting to my IQ."

"Yeah, smart_ass_ is more like it."

Her spoons dips into the carton and brings what is left of the ice cream to her mouth. Oliver reaches for his spoon but she pulls the ice cream out of his reach.

"I don't give ice cream to people who aren't nice to me."

"Fine. I'll just take it from you."

She laughs as he reaches for it again but she holds it over her head. He doesn't realize the huge mistake he's about to make until it's too late. As Oliver leans over to her side of the couch, Felicity stretches back and away from him, keeping the ice cream just out of reach. He pushes forward to reach for the carton and that's when he realizes that his body is now fully laying on top of hers. One of his arms braces himself on the armrest she is leaning against while the other keeps hold of her wrist, where it landed in his attempt to grab the ice cream.

Looking at her face, Oliver sees that Felicity has come to the same realization. This is it. This is the moment when she realizes just how perverted he is and runs for the hills. She will push him off of her and yell about how gross and inappropriate he is and she won't ever talk to him again.

Only she doesn't do any of that. Her breathing picks up and her pupils dilate. The hand she had on his chest in an effort to push him away now tightens in his shirt. Looking away from her eyes his gaze bounces around the room and then back down at her in a matter of seconds. Then he catches sight of something dark by her hip where her shirt has risen to expose the skin. _Felicity's tattoo_. As if it has a mind of its own, the hand still holding her wrist relinquishes its hold and reaches down to trace the ink on her smooth skin. Felicity gasps at the contact and it's like ice water being thrown onto them.

"Oh shit."

She shoots up from her position, her body pushing his back and away from her. Franticly, Felicity drops the ice cream on the table and runs a hand over her hair before pulling down her shirt. She doesn't look at Oliver once; instead doing everything she possibly can to avoid eye contact.

"I, uh, I just remembered I have a thing I have to go to. Thanks for the ice cream. Bye." The words are rushed and thrown behind her back as she escapes the room.

That was what Oliver had been waiting for. The fact that things went as far as they did without her running surprises him. Now she will probably avoid him at all costs while sitting around thoroughly disgusted by him. And she should be. She's not even of legal age yet. He closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration.

After taking a few minutes to process everything that just occurred and calm down, Oliver picks up his phone and dials a number that once changed his life. His inability to stay away from Felicity physically is not all that he took from that conversation. There are other matters, such as the QC offer, that he needs to sort out. If it happens to distract him from a certain blonde that's just an added bonus.

The phone rings once, twice before the man on the other end picks up.

"Queen, did you think about the offer I gave you? We could really use a man with your skillset in the field."

"Yeah, I did, and I want to take you up on it. But I can't right now."

"Why? What's going on?"

"My parents asked me to take a temporary position at Queen Consolidated. You know the company DefenseTech?"

"They're a main supplier of weaponry for the military. I used to deal with some of their guys back on base."

"Well, the company's Applied Sciences division is looking to partner with them. My parents want me to oversee the project and their designs."

"DefenseTech is committed to a new, less aggressive philosophy. They're going to want defensive mechanisms that will minimize casualties."

"So I have been told. Do you think it's a good position for someone with my experience? It won't be permanent but my parents' genuinely sounded like they needed me and not just because of our family relations."

"I think you're exactly the man for the job. Number one marksman in the unit, probably the whole base. Well except for…" Her name goes unsaid but it rings loud and clear in the silence.

"Yeah, okay. It won't be a conflict of interest or shady marketing? You think the guys at DefenseTech will find it respectable?"

"If they know what's good for them they'll appreciate working with someone who knows what he's doing. I know there were some allegations in the past about whom a couple of people in their employ were dealing for but I haven't heard of any corruption in the company's operations for years now. People will most likely question you about it, though."

"They're clean now though?"

"As far as I know. They got everyone involved in that scandal out of there and tightened their security checks for employees."

"Thanks, I appreciate the insight. It will definitely help my final decision."

"Anything else you called about?"

"No, that's it. I just wanted to get your opinion before I chose whether or not the accept the position since you have personal experience with them."

"Alright, man. Lyla and I will be back in Starling soon and I've already got a start up with the local task force. Looks like we'll be staying put for a while. Let me know if you change your mind about the job or if anything _else_ comes up."

"Yes, sir."

"We're not in the war anymore, Oliver. You can lose the formal title."

"Thanks, Digg. I appreciate it."

"That's better.

The line goes dead and Oliver's decision is made. In the morning, he'll notify his parents of his decision to take of the position at QC.

….

**Author's Note: Yay, Digg! He is going to become a lit more involved now that I've introduced him all to you. Get excited because things are starting to heat up!**

**Thank you everyone for reading and please feel free to share any thoughts you have with me. Questions/comments/concerns are always welcome :)**

**- B**


	4. The Shot Heard Around Her World

**Author's Note: Are you guys ready to get to the main plot? Because I am.**

**Also, I have an account on Polyvore under the same name (theirhappystory) on which you can find Felicity's outfits. FF doesn't let me link them in text but I did put the link to my account on my profile here as well as the links to my accounts on Tumblr and AO3 :)**

...

Chapter 4: The Shot Heard Around Her World

Three days later Robert and Moira Queen announce proudly that their son will be taking a position in the company. Apparently, Oliver's employment necessitates a full on press release in the Queen Consolidated lobby and a formal gathering that night. He's not all too sure why that is. The position is a small one, nowhere near the one his parents had in mind for him those few years ago. In fact, it's not even close. There's a sinking suspicion in Oliver that tells him maybe his parents did not take his refusal of a permanent spot as seriously as they seemed to.

"Good afternoon everyone."

A chorus of voices responds with a greeting and cameras flash from all different angles. Eager reporters sit on the edges of their seats, waiting to get the big scoop on the Queen family and company. Their recorders are on hand and held as close as possible so they don't miss a thing. On stage sits the Queen family, including Felicity. It is common knowledge now that she has been welcomed into their home and no one is shocked to find her amongst one of Starling's most prominent families. She sits next to Thea, who is attempting to be discreet about checking her phone in her purse. Oliver is seated between Thea and Moira while Robert stands at the podium to address the crowd.

"My name is Robert Queen and I am CEO of Queen Consolidated, but you all knew that." Polite laughter follows and Oliver resists the urge to roll his eyes.

Robert begins his introduction, subtly reminding the crowd of the company's past success and partnerships.

Oliver takes this time to sneak glances at Felicity. Things have been awkward, to say the least, between them since the incident on his couch three nights ago. After their first run in at the office, and Oliver's subsequent ignoring of Felicity the rest of the week, he had learned better than to ignore her completely. But now it seemed she had changed her tune because she had done everything possible to not be alone with him these past few days. The only conclusion he could come to was that it really had freaked her out and he tried to remind himself that was a good thing. Maybe if they kept their distance he wouldn't keep getting inappropriate hard-ons for a minor and they wouldn't keep ending up in suggestive situations. He told himself it was all for the best.

But every now and then Oliver would still find himself looking at Felicity. Even now, with his sister between them and an audience of publicity junkies, he caught himself admiring her. Right now she's wearing a floral print dress with a teal blazer. The color brings out her eyes behind her glasses, something he definitely shouldn't notice from this far away and at this angle. She's shaking her foot in an effort to sit still and her pink-tipped fingers are tapping against her purse. A sudden urge strikes him to reach over and settle his hand on top of hers but he suppresses it.

"And with that I would like to introduce to you my son and the chairman of this new project, Oliver Queen."

He's startled out of his admiring by his father's introduction and quickly stands to walk to the podium as a quiet applause spreads through the room. After a few seconds he raises his hand to quiet them. Oliver knows how to command a crowd both from his playboy days and his time in the Army. Now he just does it with more respect and maturity.

"Hello, everyone. How are you all doing?" He pauses as they reply with a variation of positive response. "Great, I am glad to hear it. As my father said, he and my mother have asked me to oversee the new project our Applied Sciences division has taken under its wing. This project will take Queen Consolidated further into the field of technological development than it has ever been before. We, hopefully with the help of DefenseTech, are aiming to produce less violent and negatively consequential tactics of warfare. So what does that mean? Well over the next few months our employees will be working hard to design less invasive weaponry for the U.S. military. As you can see, this project involves something I am personally familiar with. It is my hope that my experience coupled with the brilliant minds of our scientists and engineers on board will help create a safer method of warfare to be used in the future."

The applause this time is slightly louder than it was when he was introduced. Oliver throws the crowd of onlookers a few smiles before continuing.

"I would now like to open the floor to any further questions you may have."

Immediately hands shoot up. This is unsurprising and after talking with his family publicist and head of PR it was decided Oliver would take a maximum of six questions before ending the press conference. He picks a random reporter in front to go first.

"Mr. Queen, in the past DefenseTech has dealt with allegations of unfavorable conduct. What do you say to this?"

"I have personally looked into DefenseTech and their current operations. A good friend of mine from Afghanistan coordinated with them at the base and after talking to him I am confident that the allegations, which were dropped years ago I might add, are not a worry of mine."

Once the words are out of his mouth there are more shouts of his name before he picks the next question.

"So what you are saying, Mr. Queen, is that these allegations are of absolutely no concern to you and Queen Consolidated?"

"Of course they were a concern. However, like I said, I have personally looked into the matter even though the accusations were proven false years ago and those possibly believed to be involved replaced. Next question, please."

This goes on for another fifteen minutes and most are simple enough to answer. Oliver takes his last question from a short, balding man in the front.

"Should we be expecting you to take a more active role in the company once this project is fully underway? Perhaps, say, training to become CEO?"

The question causes Oliver to tense slightly. He had thought his father planned on addressing this but apparently that had not been the case. Of course he had prepared for this but realizing Robert had not mentioned his son's intentions as planned put him on edge.

"No. The terms I have agreed to upon accepting this position state that once this project is up and running and making sizeable headway, I will be leaving the company. CEO was not something I wanted for myself five years ago and it is still something I do not see as a part of my future. Thank you all for your attendance today."

Reporters call out as Oliver leaves the stage, begging for one more question, one more photo. Instead he gathers with his family and the security detail as they exit the lobby. Once they reach the elevators Thea and Moira say their goodbyes. His mother will be overseeing the preparations for tonight's congratulatory gathering in one of the local business bars while Thea accompanies her.

"Oliver, you did an excellent job, sweetheart." His mother compliments him before kissing his cheek. "Wasn't your big brother wonderful, Thea?"

The teenager in question barely throws a glance her brother's way, instead choosing to burry her nose in her phone and mumble something that sort of sounds like an agreement. Things between them were still tense. Thea was waiting for Oliver to open up to her but he wasn't sure he would ever fully be able to. This would, hopefully, blow over soon. She always did know how to hold a grudge but Oliver had learned years ago to weather the storm with her.

"Darling, you did great. I'll see you tonight." With that Moira and Thea exit the building and are driven away in their town car.

Oliver turns back around to see that his father had already left. It's no surprise to him. What is a surprise is the sight of Felicity, waiting for him by the elevators. She looks pensive, unsure as he crosses to her.

He's about to speak when the elevator opens and she steps in quickly. Oliver follows and the doors begin to close when someone calls out for them to hold it. He has absolutely no intention of doing so but Felicity does. The man joins them and turns to her.

"Thanks, cutie. What floor are you going to?"

Cutie? Who is this guy? The term of endearment makes Oliver's skin crawl.

"Uhm, seventh floor."

"Too bad, I'm going to five." The man is about to press the button to close the doors when Oliver accidentally knocks the folder he is holding out of the elevator. Complete accident, really.

"What the hell man?"

The guy doesn't even look to see whom he's yelling at as he dives after his papers. The doors slam shut before he can get back on.

"What was that?" The question comes from Felicity and he turns to see her staring at him with one eyebrow raised.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Oliver plays it off like he is trying to be charming but really he doesn't know the answer to her question either.

"Okay, right."

They stand in silence as the car rises. There's tension between the two of them. He can feel it, an invisible presence crowding the elevator car. Sometimes it's so easy for him, natural, to open up to Felicity and talk with her. But other times, like right now, he can't decide if he wants to push himself against the farthest wall or pull her close. They reach her floor without speaking and he thinks that whatever the reason she chose to wait for him she has rethought and decided against. But then she turns quickly to face him before stepping out.

"I just wanted to tell you that I think you did a great job. I know it's not exactly what you want for yourself but you fit the role perfectly up there." She pecks him on the cheek, leaving a faint pink mark, before exiting the car.

The Applied Sciences floor is only three above the IT Department so Oliver spends the rest of his ride in stunned silence. Through his reflection off of the elevator walls he can see the light mark from her lipstick. Part of him, for some reason unbeknownst to him, wants to leave it there. However, a much bigger part tells him to wipe it off before anyone sees it and starts asking questions. Lipstick was not an uncommon thing to be found on Oliver Queen during his wilder years. One time he and Tommy had even made it a challenge to see who could get the most varying shades on them in one night. But that isn't who he is anymore and that isn't the image he wants to represent so he pulls the handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes the small trace of Felicity away.

As Oliver exits the elevator he finds an intern, young probably around Felicity's age give or take a year, waiting to show him around.

"Mr. Queen, welcome to Applied Sciences. It's a pleasure to have you on board with this project. The engineers and chemists have been working really hard to make sure everything was ready when you arrived. Not that they were unprepared before. I'm Barry, by the way. Barry Allen. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The man, no definitely kid, eagerly sticks his hand out for Oliver to shake.

"Right, it's nice to meet you, Barry. And since we are going to be working together you can call me Oliver."

"Wow, okay. It's such a great project you've chosen to oversee here, Mr. Que – Oliver. There are so many civilian casualties in war. The technology we are designing aims to reduce the number by at least twenty percent, which might not seem like a lot, but really when we are talking about human lives any number counts. Don't you think? We're also hoping to advance the accuracy in…"

This is going to be a long day.

….

Sure enough, by the time Oliver arrives at his congratulatory celebration that night at eight o'clock he is exhausted. Right now there is nothing else he'd rather do than crawl into his bed and pass out. But he can't because now he's a businessman and that entails formal gatherings and business meetings and putting on a face to please the people. So he pulls on his best charming billionaire smile and walks into the crowded room.

People greet him as he walks through the room. They pat him on the back and congratulate him by name like they've known him his entire life. He doesn't even recognize half their faces, except for a few daughters and young wives of businessmen he may or may not have encountered in his younger years. Those days are long behind him and he's more than a little ashamed of his actions as a young adolescent.

There's a weight on his back and her turns to find his mother smiling at him with pride.

"Oliver, darling, you're here. Come, there's someone I would like you to meet."

Together they make their way across the room. Moira greets a few guests in passing but Oliver's eyes have zeroed in on his father and a leggy, brunette woman. They're speaking quietly but what draws Oliver's attention is the way they lean into each other, closer than business acquaintances should. As they approach the woman pulls back slightly, but does not seem guilty or ashamed of how close she was standing to Robert.

"Oliver, I would like to introduce to you our new CFO of Queen Consolidated, Isabel Rochev. She has been working with us for the past year and is doing a splendid job."

Moira's words are kind, poised and she smiles at the younger woman. However, there's a slight detachment to her tone and Oliver picks up on it right away.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." He takes her outstretched hand to shake it lightly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Queen."

The glint in her eye gives Oliver an uneasy feeling. It's not the look he is used to receiving from women, full of desire and infatuation. No, this look is cold, cutting. She looks like a predator on the prowl and not in a way that makes his blood start racing. Instead it freezes him in place before she retracts her hand.

"Have you found Queen Consolidated to suit you, Ms. Rochev?"

"Yes, I have found it a rather… enjoyable experience thus far." He doesn't miss the way her eyes slide to the side to briefly glance at Robert before returning to meet his gaze. "The company is quite adaptable and cutting edge and I am pleased to say that our stocks and financial reports have taken a positive turn this past year."

"All thanks to your leadership, no doubt."

"I was glad to be given such an opportunity to make a name for myself, especially within a Fortune 500 company. My time here has been quite rewarding to say the least."

There's a tense moment where all four stand and smile politely at one another. Something is going on unsaid between Oliver's parents and Isabel Rochev and he has a pretty good idea what that is.

"Sorry to interrupt, Moira, Mr. Queen, but I was hoping to maybe steal Oliver away for a little bit?"

Felicity stands next to the group of adults, small in size but large in presence. Moira and Robert smile at her fondly while Isabel gives her a look of indifference.

"Of course, dear, and you have lived under my roof for almost two years. You can call me Robert."

Robert has always held Felicity in high regard. Her intelligence and work ethic made her a valuable asset, something Robert sought out and held on to.

"Thank you. It will only take a second. Oliver?" He nods and excuses himself from the group to follow her away.

"What do you need?"

"Oh, I don't need anything but it looked like you did. I thought I would save you from the awkward tennis match between your parents and Isabel." Felicity says the woman's name as if it leaves a bitter taste on her tongue.

"I take it you're not a fan."

"You would be correct. Your father has done some indecent things in the past but she has to rank in the top ten." Well that confirms Oliver's suspicions.

"Does Moira know?"

"Of course she does. When have you ever known someone to pull one over on Moira Queen?"

"I knew my dad had his…. extracurricular activities, but to bring one into the company and flaunt that is a whole other kind of low."

"Things aren't the same as when you left, Oliver. A lot has changed."

They've made their way over to the open bar and Felicity asks for a glass of champagne. As she leans over to chat with the bartender, Oliver is distracted by her outfit, which is becoming an increasingly normal occurrence that he really needs to shake. She's wearing her hair down, blonde curls cascading over her bare shoulders, exposed by her strapless cream dress, which is overlapped with red flowers and lace. It makes her look older, sophisticated. She turns around, champagne flute in hand and takes a sip to which he raises his eyebrow.

"Oh did you want one, too?" She takes another sip before he snags the drink from her.

"Last time I checked you weren't twenty-one." Life would be so much easier if she was.

"You're no fun."

The pout that Felicity gives him is adorable and he wonders what it would be like to kiss it away, to replace her pout with a very different expression.

"Trust me, I can be very, very fun."

That really wasn't supposed to come out as low and throaty as it did. Her eyes widen and Oliver watches as her pupils dilate. Damn it. Why does he keep getting himself into these situations with her?

"Ollie? Is that you?"

The voice is somewhat familiar and the memories associated with it cause Oliver to cringe. Turning around, he finds a redhead in a purple dress, if it could be called that, walking up to them.

"Oh, hi uh…." He trails off, searching his memory for the woman's name and failing.

"Shannon."

He was thinking Jessica so it's a really good thing he didn't just go for it. At his side Felicity snorts, quickly covering her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter.

"Right, of course, how are you?"

"I'm doing well. Not as well as you though."

She reaches out to squeeze his bicep and Oliver cringes. Were these really the type of women he was interested in before the Army? She practically purrs at him as she takes a step closer. He tries to move back, only to be followed closely. Felicity has an arm wrapped around her waist and the other is pressed firmly over her mouth, attempting to hold in her laughter.

"What are you doing over here, by yourself? You should be out on the dance floor with a pretty girl on your arm." By pretty girl she obviously means herself.

"I'm not alone, actually, but you're right." He shifts towards Felicity and holds a hand out to her. "Care for a dance?"

"Of course."

There's still a smile on her face and laughter in her posture as she takes his hand. It's soft and small and it fits perfectly in his own. He's momentarily struck by just how tiny and fragile she is and he pulls her close when a wave of protectiveness washes over him.

"If you'll please excuse us, Shannon."

Oliver doesn't wait for a reply as he pulls Felicity to the center of the dance floor. He hears the other girl's huff of indignation as he walks away but doesn't look back. Instead, his hand not holding onto Felicity's settles comfortably on the small of her back as her pulls her into position and begins to sway. When he looks down at her face she's still smiling but it's not as full of amusement as it was during their encounter with Shannon.

"So, do you want to tell me why you've been avoiding me?"

He regrets the words almost as soon as he says them but part of him wants to know if she really does find his actions inappropriate and appalling, like he assumes.

"Depends, do you want to explain what just happened?"

"Past encounter from my irresponsible young adolescent years. Your turn."

Felicity looks away and bites her lip in hesitation before returning his gaze and taking a deep breath.

"Do you remember the other night, in your room?"

Yeah, he definitely remembers. He remembers it every time he closes his eyes at night and the evidence is there when he wakes up in the morning. It would be a lot easier if he didn't.

"I believe I was there."

"Right. Uhm… well it's about what happened you know after the talking part but before the part where I basically bolted out the door like I was on fire."

This was something Oliver thought he wanted to here. However, he is quickly realizing that isn't exactly the case anymore.

"About that, listen Felicity, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable in anyway. How I acted, that won't be happening again. I promise."

For a second she almost looks disappointed but he's too distracted to read into it because a small red dot hits his face before disappearing behind Felicity's head. Years in the Army trained him to recognize what it is and he barely has time to react before the shot rings out.

Oliver tackles Felicity to the ground, shielding her with his body. Terrified screams ring out around them and the room fills with chaos. He tugs her close and into a crouch, running close to the ground. Bullets whiz by them and one nicks him in the shoulder. It stings where the bullet tore open his skin but he's had much, much worse. A nearby table at the edge of the dance floor provides cover for them as Oliver yanks Felicity underneath it with him.

"Felicity, are you okay?"

She's shaking and her eyes dart around frantically. Both of Oliver's hands frame her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Are you hurt?" He looks her over to see if there is any visible injury and finds none.

"N-no. No. I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

Just then a bullet hits the top of the table and ricochets off, causing Felicity to jump and pull herself closer to him. They can't stay here for too long. If he remembers correctly, there is a marble pillar approximately ten feet from where they are hidden. They should be safely hidden behind that.

"Felicity, listen to me. There's a pillar not far from this table. Are you paying attention? Okay, we can't stay under here. We'll wait for a break in gunfire and then run. You stay as close to me as you can, make yourself as small a target as possible. Do you understand?"

Felicity gives him a frenzied nod. Her body is still shaking and her teeth begin to rattle, vibrating against each other. She's going into shock. Oliver quickly shrugs out of his suit jacket and drapes it around her shoulders. Another minute goes by until the shots quiet.

"We have to run now!"

"You can't, like, count to three or something?"

"Three!"

Then they're running. His arms are around Felicity and every part of him is shielding as much of her as possible. They're almost to the pillar when the next bullet is shot at them. It misses but just barely.

As they make it to the marble column, Oliver pulls Felicity around to push her against it, crowding her in with his body. He can feel her hands clutching onto his dress shirt and holding him close.

There's movement on the other side of the room. The hired event security storm in, guns drawn. Two men are quickly taken down and do not get back up. The rest of the unit splits into groups, one sweeping the main floor and the other running up the stairs to the secondary level. Shots are no longer being fired but the room still remains in chaos.

"Oliver. Oliver, we have to find Thea and your parents!"

He wants to. He wants nothing more than to search the ballroom and make sure his family is okay. But Felicity was the target. For some reason the shots were aimed at her. Bringing her out in the open would be like signing her death warrant right now.

"We can't move until the area has been secured."

"What? Thea is my best friend, your sister! We have to go find her!"

Frantically, Felicity attempts to push her way past Oliver. It's a feeble attempt seeing as he's at least twice her size. She continues to fight him on it until he wraps one arm around her waist and places the other on the column behind her head then forces her back.

"Felicity! The shots were aimed at you." That freezes her in place.

"What? No."

"I saw the sight indicator on me before it disappeared behind your head. That's how I knew what was about to happen. Whoever was firing those rounds was firing at you."

"I – I don't understand. Why would someone try to kill me?" Her shaking from earlier increases causing Oliver to tighten his hold.

"I don't know. All I do know is that it's not safe for you to be out in the open until security gives the okay. Do you understand?" She nods mutely, wide eyes quickly filling with moisture, and buries her face in his chest.

The room starts to calm. Looking around Oliver can see the guards reconvening. They check on a few scared party guests and begin searching for evidence. The few that went upstairs descend without a suspect in hand. His eyes catch sight of Thea with Tommy and Laurel on the other end of the room. They look shaken but unharmed and Oliver lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thea is with Tommy and Laurel. She's okay." Felicity's shoulders sag in relief and he feels her death grip on his shirt loosen.

"The cops just got here. Security is briefing them on what happened. It looks like they lost the shooter."

They stand like that for a few more minutes. All of his senses are hyperaware of their surroundings but he doesn't feel the presence of a threat anymore. Years in the Army have honed his instincts to be vigilant. Sure enough, the cops give the all clear shortly after and everyone begins to seek out their company for the night.

"Come on. It's safe now."

Oliver releases his hold on Felicity but grabs her hand to keep her close. He leads her across the room to where Thea, Tommy, and Laurel stand. The second Thea sees the pair she runs towards them.

"Lis! Ollie! Oh my God you're okay!" She wraps her best friend in a hug before repeating the action with her brother.

"Are you hurt, Thea? Did you get hit?"

He let's go of Felicity's hand, still making sure she remains close to his side, and reaches out to cradle Thea's cheeks in his palms.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I was over by the buffet on the side of the room with Tommy and Laurel when it happened. Wait! Ollie you're bleeding!"

Damn it. He forgot about the bullet that nicked his shoulder.

"It's fine. Just a graze."

"No it's not, you're hurt!"

Thea reaches out and grabs Oliver's arm, turning him so she can examine the wound.

"Oh thank goodness you are all okay." Moira rushes over to join the group, Robert in tow.

"Oliver's not, he got shot."

"I told you it's fine. It barely grazed me. I have had much worse before this. It wouldn't be the first time I've been shot."

Everyone stills, not yet comfortable with the topic even if they already knew about it. Thea gives up her scrutiny after that.

The Starling City police show up a few minutes later. Security briefs them on what happened before the cops begin searching for evidence and taking statements. Oliver spots Laurel's father, Detective Quentin Lance, making his way over to them.

"Laurel, sweetheart, are you okay?" The concerned father gently takes hold of his daughter's arms and checks her over.

"I'm fine, dad. Oliver might need some medical attention though." Quentin's gaze shifts to Oliver's bloodied shoulder.

"What happened to you?"

"It's just a surface wound. I was caught in the fire. Felicity and I were in the middle of the dance floor when the shots went off. I think they were aiming for her."

His response is straight forward, like he has been trained to do.

"And why would they be aiming at Ms. Smoak? You got any felonies you wanna tell me about, kid?"

"No, sir. I honestly don't know why I would be a target." Felicity's voice shakes slightly, pushing Oliver to take a step closer to her.

"We can't be sure until it's properly analyzed, but it looks like the bullets have a signature make. It matches the M.O. for the Italian organized crime group. You piss anyone off in there?"

The Italian mob has had a strong presence in Starling since before Oliver joined the Army. It mainly deals with business tycoons and other shady corporate contracts. Why anyone involved in that would wish harm on Felicity he has no idea.

"No. I wasn't even sure if the mob was real or at least still active."

"Okay. Well I'm going to need to take statements from both of you." Quentin gestures between Oliver and Felicity and pulls them aside to take their statements.

One hour later they are finally in the town car on the way back to the mansion. Oliver hasn't let Felicity out of his sight and insisted everyone else take a separate car.

Someone tried to kill Felicity and could very well still be trying to. He doesn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt but also he doesn't trust anyone else to take care of her if the gunman comes after her again tonight.

Felicity is terrified. Oliver watches her across the backseat of the car and can see her attempting to hold herself together. He can still see the shaking in her clenched hands and wants to reach out to comfort her. But he doesn't know where they stand after their conversation that was unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, cut short.

"Why would someone be trying to kill me?"

Felicity's voice comes out soft and meek. She's staring out the window at the passing traffic as they drive through the city. Orange light cast by lampposts illuminates the side of her face Oliver can see. She nervously clasps and unclasps her hands in her lap, absentmindedly playing with her fingers and shaking out her hands.

"I don't know, Felicity." There's a pain in his chest at seeing her like this when he can't do anything about it.

"I mean I know people are angry with my mother and her trial is coming up but Detective Lance said the M.O. was similar to..." She pauses to take a breath before continuing. "My mother isn't being tried for involvement with the mob. I didn't even think they were relevant anymore. Of course the whole thing about a mob is that no one ever actually catches them doing anything. You only know the reputation and hear the stories. The point is, how does my mother being tried for large scale embezzlement have anything to do with an organized crime group? It couldn't be because of that but it's the only thing I can think of."

"I don't know, but I swear to you, Felicity, we will figure this out."

She turns to look at him then and he can see the tear tracks on her face.

"What if we can't?"

Oliver doesn't even hesitate before grabbing Felicity and pulling her to him. The shaking he saw in her hands spreads to her whole body, but she doesn't sob. Instead, silent tears slowly slip out as he tucks her into his side. He welcomes her warmth and realizes that had he not been there, dancing with her, she could very well be dead. This realization causes him to pull her closer; her tiny frame nestled into his. You would think that with such a large height and size difference, standing even in heels the top of her head barely meets his chin, that they wouldn't fit as well as they do. But Felicity's head tucks perfectly under his chin and her small body fits beneath his arm like she was meant to be there, two perfectly matching puzzle pieces.

"We will. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

The remainder of the car ride is spent in silence and when they arrive back at the mansion Felicity pulls away from Oliver. She doesn't say anything to him. Actually, she doesn't even glance at him. The sudden distance is unsettling and gives Oliver emotional whiplash. No more than five minutes ago she was clinging onto him in the backseat of the town car while she trembled in shock. Now she's acting like she would rather be anywhere but here with him.

Upon entering the mansion, he sees his family waiting in the parlor for their return. Felicity thanks them for their concern before making a getaway upstairs to her room, claiming sudden exhaustion and a need to sleep off tonight's events.

She doesn't once look at Oliver.

….

**Author's Note: And the plot thickens :)**

**Poor Oliver has absolutely no clue what is running through Felicity's mind right now. They are a hot mess and I love it.**

**Thank you so much for reading and please share your thoughts with me. I love hearing them no matter how big or small.**

**- B**


	5. These Scars are the Keys

**Author's Note: A big hello to all my new readers and a welcome back to those who followed this since Chapter 1. Thank you for all the lovely reviews from last chapter. We're going to see more into Oliver's time into the military in this one and I hope you all like what I've done with it :)**

**Felicity's party outfit can be found on my Polyvore account. **

…**.**

Chapter 5: These Scars are the Keys to Unlock My Past

"You got me a what?"

"A body guard. This is John Diggle, my former commanding officer in the Army."

Oliver stands outside Felicity's bedroom door with Diggle behind him, who is clearly trying to keep his amusement from showing after seeing the look of incredulity on Felicity's face. She stands in her doorway, arms crossed in front of her chest and leaning against the doorpost.

"You hired an officer in the Army to be my bodyguard?"

"Yes. I trust this man with my life and yours. He has the training and is starting up a local personal security business. I figured this would be a good start."

"I'm sorry but I'm still a little stuck on the fact that you went and hired someone to basically stalk me 24/7 without asking me about it first."

He's not surprised that she snapped at him. She has been distant since the attempt on her life two nights ago. He should be happy about this, it's what he wanted, to keep her at arms length and away from his inappropriate reactions to her. But it still leaves him feeling slightly unsettled, an empty feeling in his gut like someone sucker punched him.

"Whoever tried to kill you might still be out there. This way you'll have someone to protect you at all times."

"Oliver, I am seventeen. I don't need a babysitter."

"I know that. He's not here to tell you what to do, only to keep you safe."

"Incase you haven't noticed, the mansion has round the clock security as does QC. Seeing as those are the only two places I frequent, I'd say I'm pretty safe already."

"I've seen the security at Queen Consolidated. It could definitely use some work."

They stand in a silent stare off, both waiting for the other to break. But Oliver is stubborn and Felicity is even more so and Diggle is the one to ultimately break the silence.

"If I may interrupt your showdown of wills. Miss Smoak, I promise you will barely even notice I'm with you. I understand the situation you're in and until the perpetrator is found it would be in your best interest to have someone around to watch your back."

Felicity sighs in resignation and lets her arms fall to her sides.

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

Her question is full of reluctant acceptance.

"Of course you do, but I would hope that you would see that I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Fine. But he doesn't come in my room or touch my computers, got it? There are some things a girl needs to keep sacred."

"Of course, Miss Smoak. Whatever you are comfortable with."

"And please, call me Felicity."

"Then you can call me Diggle. It's a pleasure to meet you, Felicity." Digg holds out his hand to give hers a firm shake.

"Right, it's nice meeting you, too. And thank you, for agreeing to look out for me. I don't want to seem unappreciative of the commitment you just made." There's a pause in the conversation then before Felicity continues. "Well if you don't mind I was in the middle of getting ready for Thea's party in a few hours so..."

Right, the party. For some reason Oliver's sister thought that throwing a party while their parents were out for the night on business would be a great idea. They had hired extra security for the event, just incase, and staff were taking names both at the gate and the front door. Still, Oliver was nervous and as a result would be staying in to monitor the party despite Thea's protests. It wasn't likely that anyone would try to harm Felicity only two days after the first attempt but Oliver was not okay with taking any chances.

"Sure. Digg and I will be down the hall in the office, discussing some of your security details. If you need anything let us know."

"Okay. Bye."

Felicity shuts the door in his face before Oliver can say anything else.

"Do I want to know what that was about?"

Diggle was always one of the most perceptive ones in his unit.

"Probably not. Come on, the study is this way."

As they make their way down the hall Oliver can see his friend cataloging their surroundings. He had sent Digg blueprints of the house after talking to him on the phone yesterday so he could familiarize himself with the property.

Once they enter the study, Oliver makes sure to firmly close the door before they begin.

"What do you know about her attacker that I don't?"

Like he said, Digg is observant.

"The police said it was the Italian mob so I did some research. I think he was one of Bertinelli's men."

"Frank Bertinelli? The supposed mob boss? What does a young, sweet girl like Felicity have to do with him?"

"I think it has less to do with Felicity than it does with her mother."

"You think someone is going after her for leverage? Do we know if Karen was involved with him?"

The question brings up Oliver's irritation on the subject.

"I don't have any solid proof, just a hunch. The police can't even pin Bertinelli to the mob officially. I would need some sort of access to bank accounts and personal files for that. I pulled some strings at the precinct, got a copy of the crime scene report. Here, take a look."

Oliver hands a folder with the police report over to Diggle who begins to read through it. The evidence, what little there is, all points to the mob as responsible for the hit. However, they find nothing that can help them to determine a motive or who exactly the shooter was. Without access to private files, they have nothing to help them draw up a connection between Karen Smoak and Frank Bertinelli and after hours of pouring over what little information they have, Oliver's frustration is evident.

"There's nothing we can do until we get our hands on the files for Karen's case."

"I'll see what I can do. But in the mean time, I believe you have a party to chaperone."

Oliver can hear the amusement in Diggle's voice.

"When did I become old enough to be considered the responsible adult?"

"It sneaks up on you."

….

Three hours later Oliver is kicking teenagers out of places they shouldn't be in and wondering what horrible thing he did to deserve this. Walking into Thea's room he finds his sister with the top half of her dress pushed down around her waist and her legs on either side of some boy on her bed. Oliver can't see the kid's hands.

"Thea!"

The pair break apart and Thea scrambles to pull her dress up as the boy tries to make himself presentable.

"God, Ollie, knock much?"

It's obvious that she's angry with Oliver for the interruption but he really couldn't care less at the moment. He turns to glare at the boy and watches him visibly shrink.

"Who are you?"

The kid, who thirty seconds ago had his tongue down his baby sister's throat and his hand up her skirt, stands abruptly.

"Shane, sir."

"Hey, Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"Get out."

"Right, okay, leaving. Later, Thea."

Shane quickly grabs his phone off of the bed and hightails it out the door and down the hall.

"Call me!" Thea's voice is casual, flirty as she bids goodbye to the kid before turning to face Oliver. "Really, big brother?"

"Thea, that boy is no good. I knew guys like that when I was your age. Hell, I was one."

"Right, which is exactly why you shouldn't be saying anything about my personal choices."

Thea's arms cross in front of her in defiance, hip popped to one side as she scowls at Oliver.

"I'm just trying to protect you."

"Yeah well, I didn't have your protection the last five years and I'm doing just fine so I don't think I need it now either."

With that Thea storms out of the room, leaving Oliver similarly frustrated. He has been trying to make amends with her since their fight when he came back. She had seemed to forgive him after the ill-fated celebration the other night but apparently he was wrong.

Sighing to himself, Oliver leaves Thea's room to return to the party. He hasn't been gone long but he knows from experience that things can go south quickly at gatherings like these. Walking through the hall, Oliver pauses when he hears soft cries and sniffling coming from one of the rooms.

The sight that greets him when he opens the door causes his heart to clench. Felicity is curled up on one of the chairs in the library, clutching her arms around her midsection like she's holding herself together. One hand reaches up to push her hair away from her face and wipes at her tears.

"Felicity?"

Her head swivels towards Oliver where he is standing in the doorway and she quickly jumps up from her seat, pulling on the hem of her yellow skirt and situating the light blue lace top she's wearing.

"Oh, hi, Oliver!"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah everything is good. I'm good. The party is good. It's all good."

Felicity offers him a weak smile but can't help the small tear from slipping out. She reaches up to quickly get rid of it and draws in a long breath through her nose before letting it escape her parted lips.

Oliver walks over and lightly places a comforting hand on her bare shoulder.

"Felicity, tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing."

"Don't say that when you're obviously upset. Tell me what's wrong so I can fix it."

She looks away from Oliver, taking a deep breath in and blowing it out slowly in an effort to compose herself.

"It's stupid. Don't worry about it."

"If it makes you this upset then it isn't stupid." He can still see the reluctance in her stance so he gestures with his head towards the door. "Come on."

Oliver leads Felicity down the hall with a hand hovering over the small of her back.

Whatever it is that's upsetting her, he is determined to fix. Gently, he pushes the mahogany door to his room open and motions for her to go in first. Her hesitation is not lost on him and for a moment Oliver thinks she'll turn away. The last time they were in here his actions put her on edge, made her uncomfortable. He wouldn't blame her for walking away.

But she doesn't and after a moment Felicity walks past him and into the room. He shuts the door behind them before making his way over to his closet. Grabbing one of his Army sweatshirts Oliver returns to find her perched on the chair next to his couch. He doesn't miss how her avoidance of that particular piece of furniture causes them to sit separately, distancing them from each other.

"Here, you looked cold."

Oliver hands her the article of clothing, which she surprisingly accepts, slipping it over her head and pulling it down her body before kicking off her sandals and tucking her feet under her body.

"Thanks."

The sweatshirt is about five times too big for Felicity. The sleeves cover her hands and the bottom of it reaches past the hemline of her skirt. It gives the illusion that the only thing she has on right now is his sweatshirt. A wave of heat and possessiveness crashes over him, his hands clench to keep from reaching out and doing something he will regret. Right now this is about comforting Felicity.

"So, what happened?"

She bites her lip in hesitation, looking down at her hands and playing with the ring on her finger.

"God, this is going to sound so dumb and trivial when I say it out loud."

He doubts that. Anything that makes her upset like this would never be "dumb" or "trivial" to him.

"I still want to hear it."

"Ugh, it's just this guy." Oliver stiffens immediately. "His name is Ed and he goes to MIT with me. I met him in my one business class I took my second semester. Which, why I have to take a business class as a Computer Science and Programming major I'm not entirely sure. I guess it's good to learn how to sell my services and myself to others. As in my computer skills! Not like sell myself on the corner or anything. Although I bet that makes good money and in cash so yay for no taxes."

"Felicity." He says her name gently, to remind her of the explanation she was supposed to be giving.

"Right, sorry. So I met Ed and he was really sweet. We went on a few dates but ultimately decided to stay friends. But, uhm, he's from around here and home for the summer and I mentioned him to Thea so I guess she thought it would be a good idea to invite him tonight." She pauses to take a breath before continuing. "And it was good to see him, at first. We started talking and catching up and it was nice. Until he started getting really close, really touchy feely."

Oliver is going to find this kid and beat him to a pulp.

"He didn't physically do anything to me but I told him he was making me uncomfortable. He, uh, said something really nasty to me that I never expected to hear from him and it hurt a lot more than I thought it would."

"What did he say to you?"

"Uhm, he just made fun of me for being, uh, God this is really awkward, he said something about my sexual inexperience, that's all."

Two things hit Oliver nearly simultaneously after her confession. First, he wants to find this Ed kid and murder him for what he did to Felicity. He could do it, too. Years of Army training taught him a thing or twenty about how to kill a person. The second thing that Oliver realizes is that Felicity more or less just admitted to him that she is a virgin or at least limited in experience when it comes to sex. He really is a creepy old man.

His fists clench in anger at this Ed kid and disgust at himself.

"Is he still here?" The words escape Oliver in an intimidating growl.

"No. I got him a cab to go home. He was really drunk. I don't think he ever would have said that to me if he was sober." A tear makes its way down Felicity's cheek before she brushes at it and turns her head away from Oliver. "I mean I know I'm not the most experienced ever but we still did stuff together, just because we didn't have sex…"

She trails off and wraps her arms around herself.

"Hey, anyone who puts you down for that reason is a jerk on a level all his own and not worth your tears. Felicity, you're remarkable. Don't let anyone tell you or make you feel differently."

Oliver wants to reach out for her. He wants to comfort her and make sure she knows that she's so much better than that asshole. But he can't because she very clearly put a distance between them and he isn't going to cross that and make her uncomfortable when she's already upset. Her trust and honesty with him is more important. It's always been easy for Oliver to open up to Felicity. He wants her to feel the same way with him.

The sound of something shattering in the hall breaks the silence.

"I guess I should go take care of that. You can stay in here if you would like, watch a movie or something. I'm pretty sure there's some ice cream leftover in the mini fridge."

"Mint chip?"

"Of course."

That earns him a small smile from her.

"Then how could I resist?"

"I'll be back as soon as whatever just happened is straightened out. You'll be okay in here?"

Felicity is already standing to make her way over to where the ice cream is.

"I think I can manage." He's halfway out the door when she calls to him. "Hey Oliver?"

Turning around he sees her standing by the couch, ice cream in hand and body swimming in his sweatshirt. One of her hands reaches up to timidly tuck a piece of golden hair behind her ear.

"Thank you."

"It was nothing. I'll be back soon."

With that Oliver goes to see what damage control he can do, closing the dorm firmly behind him. He also finds Digg and asks him to keep an eye on his room.

….

Soon ends up being two hours later once the last of the partygoers have gone home for the evening. Oliver finally makes his way up the grand staircase and down the long hallway to his bedroom where he finds Diggle standing watch.

"Is Felicity still in there?"

He had been so sure that she would have gone back to her room by now.

"Yeah. She fell asleep and I didn't want to move her until necessary."

Digg and his wife, Lyla, were both members of the U.S. Army. They didn't have children of their own but Oliver can remember him talking about his nephew AJ with great fondness. He has always had a sort of big brother attitude towards those he cares about and it is quickly becoming obvious that Felicity is no exception to that rule, even if they only just met. Oliver doesn't blame him. She has this air about her that makes people want to protect her and shelter her from everything bad in the world. For Oliver that sometimes includes himself and his baser urges where she's concerned.

"Leave her. She's had a rough couple of days. You are more than welcome to stay in one of the guest bedrooms tonight."

"Thanks, Queen. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"Do you need me to show you the way?"

"No, unlike this one guy I know I actually study blueprints when they're given to me."

"One time and I never hear the end of it."

Oliver laughs and Digg joins him, for once remembering the good times instead of what sent them both home.

"Alright, man, get some rest. Dealing with teenagers isn't easy work either."

Digg claps Oliver on the back before heading down the hall and turning the corner into the guest wing.

Silently opening the door, Oliver enters his room. The TV is off, he suspects Digg must have done that, and there's an empty carton of ice cream sitting on the wooden table in front of the couch. Felicity lies across it, wrapped tightly in a huge fleece and velvet blanket and clutching a pillow she must have stolen off of his bed. The couch itself is big enough that she could stretch out and still have more than enough room but she's curled into herself. Lying there fast asleep she looks young, innocent. It makes Oliver that much more disgusted with himself for the uncontrollable feelings he has been having about her. For a second he debates moving her to the bed while he takes the couch, but he doesn't want to wake her or invade her personal space when she's so vulnerable so he decides against it.

Quickly grabbing a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt from one of his drawers, Oliver walks into the bathroom to change and get ready for bed. Changing in his room and risk Felicity waking up while he's doing so is not something he is going to chance.

Once he's gone through his nightly routine, Oliver slips out of the bathroom and checks on Felicity one more time before crawling into bed.

For once sleep consumes him quickly

….

"_You shouldn't have come here without back up."_

"_I did come with back up. I have Slade."_

"_You know what I mean. Does the Sargent even know you're here?"_

_His silence is the only answer she needs._

"_Oliver, this is dangerous. You and Slade need to leave. Come back with the unit once you've come up with a plan."_

"_I'm not leaving here without you."_

_Suddenly there's a commotion coming from outside the room they're in._

"_You need to go or they'll kill you and Slade, too! Get out of here, Oliver!"_

"_I can't – " _

_Someone bursts through the door and Oliver aims his gun right at the man's chest, finger on the trigger._

"_It's just me kid but we need to go."_

"_Her restraints aren't done yet."_

"_What do you mean they're not done? You had a minute! Damn it."_

_Quickly the two soldiers work to release their fellow comrade just as guards begin to round the corner._

"_Time to go." _

_The three soldiers run out into the hall, Oliver handing her one of his extra guns. Slade covers their backs as they make their escape._

"_Which way?"_

"_Down the hall, second right, first left, then fourth room down on the right."_

_They're halfway down the second hall when Oliver hears her scream as she falls to the ground with a thud, clutching her abdomen and stirring up dirt that dries out his throat and causes his eyes to water. He stops to help her up but she yells in pain at the movement._

_Suddenly they're surrounded and the shots stop firing._

"_Oliver, go." _

_She pants out the words in agony as blood stains her already soiled clothes a dark red, almost black and seeps onto her hands._

"_No."_

"_Oliver!" _

_There's a loud bang and a searing pain in his chest. Looking down he sees his own blood spring forth from his chest in an imitation of some sick, demented flower. _

_Bewildered, Oliver reaches down to touch his wound but his hand comes away clean._

"_I don't understand."_

_The room spins and suddenly it's filled with the sounds of screams. High pitched, hysterical shrieks of pain and low gasps of torment. They swirl around him like ghosts, impossible to see but their presence all-consuming. It overwhelms him until it's the only thing he knows; screeches of torture and anguish and loss, and he can't distinguish one voice from the other anymore._

"_Stop! Please! Make it stop! Stop! STOP!"_

"Stop! Oliver, wake up! "

He grabs the hands on his shoulders and pushes whoever it is down onto the bed, pinning them with his lower body on their legs and slamming their hands to the mattress.

"Oliver, look at me. It's me. It's Felicity. You are okay. Everything is okay."

The sound of her voice pulls him back to the edge of rationality.

"You were dreaming, okay? It was just a dream. Look at me."

And he does. His blue eyes meet hers and it brings him clarity. He scrambles off of her and the bed entirely in record time, staring at Felicity in horror. Now she probably thinks that not only is he a creep but also a violent monster. She must be terrified of him. He doesn't know what to say, what to do. But he doesn't have to because Felicity is walking towards him slowly.

"Oliver? It's okay you didn't hurt me."

Hesitantly, she reaches out to lightly place a hand in the inside of his elbow.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

He shakes his head no.

"Okay, why don't you sit down on the bed? I'll be right back."

Felicity waits for confirmation that he heard her before she scurries out of the room.

Oliver begins to calm himself down. This isn't the first time that his dreams have woken him like this and it won't be the last. When five minutes pass and Felicity doesn't return Oliver has resigned himself to the fact that he's finally scared her off for good, until she comes back in with a cup of something steaming and delicious smelling in her hands.

"Here, drink this."

He accepts the mug from her outstretched hands and brings it to his mouth. She climbs onto the other side of the bed to face him, sitting with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap. The taste of cream and chocolate floods his taste buds as he drags a sip from the mug.

"It's hot cocoa. It used to help my dad with his nightmares."

"Thank you."

They sit in silence as he drinks. She has a look of concentration on her face, studying Oliver. It makes him slightly uncomfortable so he avoids eye contact choosing instead to stare down at the warm liquid in the mug.

"You know it's not uncommon, right? To have nightmares after coming back from the war? My dad, when he came back after his first tour, he used to have them. I remember one night I snuck into my parents' room; I must have had a bad dream or something. I walked in and my dad was crying and I didn't understand. He was my dad; strong, brave, funny, a soldier in every sense of the word. I thought he was invincible, that nothing could ever scare him. But there he was, crying and holding on to my mom like he was drowning and she was his life vest, the only thing keeping him from getting pulled under. I remember crawling into bed with them and hugging him tightly, thinking I could chase away the monsters that made him cry. I asked him about them so that we could think of ways to make them go away. Of course looking back, it wasn't that simple, but I think it was what he needed because he started talking again. He started to tell stories about what happened. He would change details and make them into these elaborate fairytales so that he wouldn't scare four-year-old me but I understood, at a certain level, and even though I was so young and was in no position to help, I think opening up was good for him."

By the time she's finished, tears have made their way to her eyes. She pulls the sleeve of Oliver's sweatshirt over the heel of her hand and uses it to dab at them.

"Sorry, it's been ten years since he died in his second tour but it's still hard to talk about him sometimes. The point is you don't have to go through this by yourself, Oliver. You're not alone. I'm not saying you have to open up and tell your deepest, darkest secrets and fears, but even sharing a little bit might make it slightly easier to bear."

She speaks with sincerity; concern and kindness shining in her bright blue, watery eyes.

It's times like these when Oliver forgets how young Felicity is. She's so intelligent and speaks with maturity beyond her nearly eighteen years. When he was her age all Oliver cared about was girls and partying and Thea. Topics anywhere near this depth were avoided at all costs. Even now, talking doesn't come easy to him, granted for much different reasons than those of his young adolescent self. But here Felicity is, talking about her late father and still being the one to offer comfort. She's so much stronger than him and he pulls from that strength.

"Can I show you something?"

He's not ready to talk about his most prominent nightmares, but he can share one piece of his pain with her.

"Of course."

Reaching for the hem of his shirt Oliver pauses. For a moment he contemplates forgetting this whole thing once he realizes that showing her this is going to put her into close contact with his bare skin.

"It's okay if you're not ready, Oliver."

Then he turns away and pulls his shirt up and over his head. He can hear Felicity's sharp intake of breathe as she catches sight of the scars on his back and makes no move to turn back around to face her. Sitting in silence he lets her take in the angry scaring and mottled skin of his back. There's a gentle pressure on his shoulder and he jumps slightly at the contact.

"Sorry." Felicity apologizes quietly and pulls her hand away.

"No, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it. You can…" He trails off, letting her finish the sentence mentally.

Felicity reaches back out to place the tips of her fingers on his right shoulder blade. Gently her fingers trace diagonally across his back, following the puckered skin down to the bottom of his left ribcage. Her touch is light but it burns where she touches, like she's branding him with her fingers.

This isn't like the brief, indistinct wandering of hands he experienced with Sara after his homecoming. That was frantic and there was a definite absence of deep emotion then, his scars barely visible in his darkened bedroom. Now, however, everything is laid bare in the moonlight for Felicity to see. He feels vulnerable but not weak, a coupling he always thought of as going hand in hand.

"How… if you don't mind me asking that is, how did this happen?"

She follows the scar back up to the top, leaving her hand to rest gently on his back. The warmth of it seeping into his skin steadies him.

"One of the camps I was stationed at was right outside of a small village that had accepted our aid. Some of the local children liked to pass a soccer ball we gave them around and sometimes we would play with them. Members from one of the oppressive Afghani groups were in the village one day and saw us. They were furious and came at the children to pull them away, some using violent force. I was trying to disarm one of the men who was waving a gun around when another guy came up behind me and sliced me with a blade."

Oliver tries to detach himself from the memory, to stay clinical in his explanation. But the frightened cries of the children still echo in his ears.

Felicity's hand travels back down the scar, palm flattening out this time in an almost soothing gesture. Her fingers then brush the side of his ribcage and he sucks in a breath. She lightly taps on the small, jagged white line there.

"What about this one?"

"Stab wound. This guy, he was mistreating a woman and I stepped in. It wasn't much of a fight but he had a knife and managed to get one in."

Again, her palm flattens over the scar for a moment. Then Oliver feels her shifting onto her knees behind him. He clenches his fists as the distance between them shrinks and he feels her let out a light puff of air. The warmth from it just kisses his pulse pointer. Her finger tips land on his left shoulder, sweeping over a red circular wound. This time, her fingers trace around the scar in a constant, spherical motion.

"Bullet wound?"

"9mm bullet, standard handgun. We were ambushed when searching through a village we assumed to be abandoned."

As she did with the previous two, Felicity presses her palm to the wound. However, this time she slides her hand down to rest on the smooth skin of his top left shoulder blade. He knows what she's going to ask about before she says it.

Quickly, Oliver pulls away and yanks his shirt on, covering the ink dragon on his back where her hand had been mere seconds ago.

"I'm not ready to talk about that just yet."

He turns to looks at her and finds her eyes full of understanding.

"Okay."

Felicity pushes herself back to rest against the headboard of the bed and pats the other side for Oliver to join her. He shifts to mirror her position in the space she indicating, making certain to leave a good foot of space in between them. He doesn't trust himself after feeling her hands on his bare skin. Even in a situation lacking sexual intent it set his body aflame. The need to feel her is stronger than it almost ever has been and he struggles to resist reaching out and crushing her body to his.

"Tell me about something good that happened."

For a second, Oliver is caught up by her question. Everyone always wanted to hear about his tough battles and war struggles. No one really asked him about the good times and he tended to forget about them amongst all of the bad.

"Like what?"

"Like how did you meet Mr. Diggle?"

"I actually knew him before I enlisted. It was pure coincidence that I ended up being assigned to his unit over in Afghanistan."

"Really? When?"

"Remember when I first met you? We had that awful brunch during which my parents threatened to cut me off?" She nods her head in assent before he continues. "Well I went out that night and, for lack of a better way to put it, got completely shitfaced. Tommy had the bail me out in the morning from the police station for assaulting an officer. Digg was in the station while I was waiting for Tommy to pay my bail. He was in uniform and I got this crazy idea to go talk to him. So I did. I asked him why he chose the Army and gave him a shallow summary of where I was in my life. But by the end of our brief conversation I was convinced that wasn't something I would ever go through with and I pretty much forgot all about it."

"So what changed your mind?"

"I was in a bar fight a couple of weeks later. Some guy was hitting on Laurel and making her uncomfortable. I tried to intervene and things got violent. I almost hospitalized the man because I was so angry. It wasn't just anger at him I was expelling. I was angry and my mom and my dad and where I was going in life, which was pretty much nowhere. That anger consumed me. By some crazy chance of fate Digg was there. He pulled me out and talked me down. He shared his story with me about how his brother had died in Special Forces and he was angry for a long time, hanging in a sort of free fall. Choosing the Army allowed him to channel those feelings he had of anger and lack of direction into something good, something he was proud of. Then I remembered something you had said to me that day we met. I don't know if you remember but after I said I didn't want to follow the path my parents had set for me you asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told you I didn't know. You said to me that I should do what made me feel good about myself and what I was doing, that would make me happy and – "

"Happy and proud of yourself. I remember that. We were in the tree house, right? Well, I was. You were hanging on the ladder."

She smiles fondly at the memory and so does Oliver. Even then at age twelve Felicity had surprised him with her insight that went far beyond her years. He remembers being glad that Thea had a friend like her before he left, someone he knew would keep her out of trouble and look out for her no matter what.

"Right. So, Digg gave me his card after that, said he was shipping back out in a few days but if I thought about joining and came to a decision before then to call him. A couple of days later I dialed his number and signed up for Basic Training."

"That sounds a lot like fate to me."

Oliver can't help but agree.

They spend the next few hours laying on his bed and talking about their good memories from the past five years. Felicity tells him about the day she was accepted to MIT full-ride. Oliver tells her about a joke he and Slade played on Digg that ended in them having to clean the facilities for a month. Felicity shares the story about her one and only experience with drugs at her first college party during which she unknowingly ate a weed brownie with nuts in it and had an allergic reaction. Oliver embarrassingly admits to having his ass kicked more than a few times in Basic Training and then again by Slade at their base. The exchange of stories continues into the early hours of the morning until they exhaustion claims them and light from the rising sun begins to seep in through the curtains.

…**.**

**Author's Note: So now you have a little, itty bit of insight into the Karen/mob/attempt on Felicity story and more about her family. Also, a lot more of Oliver's past with Diggle and the Army. **

**As always, thank you for taking the time to read this and please let me know what your thoughts are so far. I absolutely love hearing what everyone has to say :)**

**- B**


	6. Green Doesn't Look as Good On You

**Author's Note: So the general consensus seems to be that Felicity really needs to turn 18 already…. Unfortunately that's not going to happen this chapter. But we are getting closer!**

**Felicity's brunch and fundraiser outfits as well as Sara's fundraiser outfit can be found on my Polyvore account. I have the same user there as I do here and the collection title is "With Our Backs to the Wall (The Darkness Will Fall)". **

**Also, sorry I didn't get this up sooner. This site wasn't letting me upload anything into my Doc Manager.**

….

Chapter 6: Green Doesn't Look as Good On You as It Does On Me

As Oliver begins to stir, he is surprised to find that the reason for his waking is not the usual terror of memories turned nightmares. Instead, it's a steady stream of sunlight that beams through the small opening in the curtains and onto his face that wakes him from his sleep. That's the first thing he notices that is out of place.

The second, and more conspicuous of the two, is that there is a warm body pressed against his side and a blonde head lying on the space between his shoulder and his chest. Felicity. Sometime late into the night, or early depending on how you look at it, they must have both fallen asleep and shifted their positions. The distance he was sure to keep between them is now completely eliminated as she snuggles into his side with a hand on his chest, right above his beating heart. His left arm is tucked underneath her shoulders and wrapped around her tiny frame, palm resting on her ribcage over the fabric of his sweatshirt.

She's soft and warm against him and there is absolutely no chance of controlling his body's reaction to her. It is morning after all.

Oliver tries to shift slightly and prays to God that she is a sound sleeper. Maybe then he can slip away and avoid the awkward situation that is sure to come up, he groans at the unintentional and completely inappropriate pun, when she wakes. Luck, it would seem, is not on his side because the second his arm starts to move from underneath her, Felicity shifts closer. Her left knee rises slightly to rest on his outer thigh, dangerously close to where he is beginning to strain against his pants. Her skirt from last night has disappeared, revealing more of her bare skin, which might just cause him to hyperventilate.

Felicity turns further into him, pressing her body even closer to his and sighing in contentment as she settles. It would be sweet if he weren't busy worrying about his growing arousal and what her reaction would be to finding it.

He needs to wake her up. Right now.

"Felicity." Gently he shakes her shoulders, trying to rouse her as gently as possible. "Felicity, wake up."

"Ten minutes…"

He chuckles lightly at her refusal to fully wake up. Her brow crinkles and her nose scrunches in the most adorable way as she pulls herself even closer with the hand curled in the front of his shirt and the leg she has draped over his.

"It's already ten o'clock. Come on, Felicity."

"Thea… don't care 'bout stupid sale… lemme sleep."

Thea. That causes him to freeze. His sister will most definitely be looking for her best friend soon. It's Sunday and his parents will be back for brunch which means Thea will most likely want to play dress up with Felicity. If she saw them like this…

"I'm definitely not Thea. But you do need to wake up and go back to your room before she realizes you're not there."

That seems to do the trick because Felicity's eyes snap open and she pushes so far away that she nearly falls off the bed. Oliver takes this opportunity to quickly pull the duvet over his lap to hide his straining erection from her.

"Oh my God, Oliver! I am so sorry! Oh I really hope I didn't drool on you. Not that I drool a lot in my sleep but you know that's always what people worry about in books and movies. That would really be so embarrassing. And wow I basically cuddle-attacked you in your sleep. Did I mention I was sorry?"

"It's okay. You didn't drool on me. Don't worry. But you do need to get back to your room before Thea realizes you are missing and comes looking for you."

"Right, because she would probably assume that me and you… you know what never mind I'm just gonna go."

Felicity quickly scurries over to the couch to grab her sandals and skirt; thankfully it appears she was wearing shorts under it last night. Then she's rushing out of the door and down the hall.

This was getting out of hand. Last night when Oliver had found Felicity crying he didn't think, he just acted. He forgot the distance she had put between them, forgot how it was supposed to be a good thing. All he had wanted to do was make her smile again, to see that hurt expression disappear.

Then he let her sleep on his couch. He really should have known better. Sleeping in the same room as the girl that you uncontrollably fantasize about is never a good idea. Doing that when you're prone to nightmares that wake you up screaming is an even worse one. There was no way of controlling things from there and somehow Felicity had turned the tables and ended up being the one to comfort him. It was so very Felicity of her that Oliver can't say he's surprised.

What _does_ surprise him is how much he shared with her. The scars he bears on his body speak of his trials and his struggles. The only people who know all of the stories behind them are dead, except for Diggle. They hold his secrets and his stories that until last night, he was unwilling to share. He's still not willing to tell her everything, as was evident by his reaction when her hand grazed the tattoo on his shoulder.

Oliver quickly stops his thoughts from wandering to how her soft hands felt on his bare skin. He's already hard as a result of the morning and her impromptu cuddling session. The last thing he needs is to think about the way her hands trailed across his back and up his side. Or how her breath felt, hot and warm, against the back of his neck. He stiffens further at the memory and decides that a cold shower is definitely necessary. His mind flashes to her leg pressed up against his thigh as he attempted to wake her up. Yeah, he's going to need the coldest setting.

As he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed his door flies open and slams back shut with a bang.

"Oliver Queen, you hypocrite!"

He just about jumps out of his skin at the sound of Thea's angry shout as she charges towards him.

"Do you know what I just saw? No, don't talk, I'll tell you. I just saw Felicity leaving your room in your sweatshirt!"

"Thea, it's not – "

"Shut up I wasn't finished. Who do you think you are to go around criticizing me for having some fun with a boy my age when you have Felicity in your bedroom?! I know you liked to sleep around a lot before but seriously, Ollie? Felicity? She is my best friend!"

"Speedy! Whatever you think happened, you're wrong."

He needs to nip this in the bud before it gets any worse.

"Oh, so it wasn't Felicity sneaking, well trying to, out of your room wearing your sweatshirt with her shoes and skirt in hand?"

He reaches up to rub his temples with the thumb and forefinger of his right hands as he feels a headache start to set in.

"No, it was. But not for the reason you are thinking."

"Then please, explain what happened because it looked awfully suspicious to me."

"You know that guy you invited from her school who lives around here?"

"Ed? Yeah, I thought it would be good for Felicity to get some action since she's usually all work and no play with her internship and everything. Why?"

Momentarily Oliver is distracted by the thought of Thea calling this boy for Felicity as a, for lack of a better description, booty call. Anyone who makes her that upset shouldn't be allowed close enough to touch her like that.

"Well, I found her crying because of him. I let her stay in my room and she fell asleep watching TV on the couch. She was in my sweatshirt because it was cold and I gave it to her so she would be comfortable. That's all."

Thea looks Oliver over skeptically, assessing if what he is telling her is the truth or an elaborate lie. Whatever she sees must convince her that he isn't lying because her scrutiny lessens. His gut unknots in his stomach and he relaxes slightly. What he said was the truth. He just failed to mention what happened later in the night.

"Okay. Maybe I overreacted a little bit. You would never do that to Felicity. She's practically family and like half your age."

Thea's comment leaves him unsettled and puts a sour taste in his mouth.

"No, she's not. She's almost eighteen."

"Eighteen, thirty, it's still a pretty big age difference. Anyway, that's not important. The reason I was on my way to your room was to tell you to get ready. Mom and dad got back about an hour ago and apparently we're having guests over for brunch."

"Great. Anyone I know?"

"Does the last name Bowen ring a bell?"

"Ah, Carter Bowen, the perfect son."

Also, a complete pretentious douchebag in Oliver's opinion.

"The one and only, according to mom."

Thea smirks at the running joke she and Oliver shared as kids and he replies in a mock interpretation of their mother.

"Carter Bowen just won the national chess championship. Carter Bowen is anchoring the debate team."

"Oliver, Carter just got accepted into Harvard AND Princeton."

"Well that's because he got a perfect score on his SATs."

"Now, how did he manage to study and cure cancer?"

They laugh together at that and for a second Oliver thinks that maybe things between him and Thea aren't as bad as he thought.

"Now don't even try to get out of this because I already did. Mom shot me down and made me promise that you, Felicity, and I would all be there. Although I don't think Felicity has the same problem with Carter that we do."

She says the last comment offhand and with a roll of her eyes but it stops Oliver short.

"What do you mean?"

"She used to have this silly crush on him when we were younger. I remember one time when we were I think fourteen the Bowens came over for dinner and Felicity blushed the color of a tomato when he greeted her. I tried to tell her he was a total asshat but whatever I'm sure she's over it now. Anyway, go get ready. Mom said they would be here around eleven."

With that Thea leaves the room, crisis averted. Only now he's occupied with a completely different situation. Felicity had, might still have, a crush on Carter Bowen. For some reason the thought causes Oliver to tense up. He doesn't like it and he's not entirely sure why he feels like this. But he does.

At least he won't have to take a freezing cold shower anymore.

….

Thirty minutes later Oliver walks down the stairs to find his family and the Bowens gathered in the parlor, mimosas in hand aside from Thea and Felicity. He avoids eye contact with the latter.

"Good, Oliver you're here. You remember the Bowens, don't you?"

Moira places a hand on Oliver's back and gently ushers him forward to greet Janice and Carter Bowen.

"Of course. It is lovely to see you again, Mrs. Bowen."

"Oh we are just happy you made it back safely. You know so many young people go off to war and unfortunately don't return – " Moira cuts her off midsentence.

"Yes, well, we're glad he's home."

"Mhm, and returning celebrity, too."

Oliver accepts Carter's offered hand of greeting. He may or may not grip it with slightly more force than necessary.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Raisa enters the parlor then to inform them that brunch is ready to be served. As the group makes their way to the dining room Oliver can't help but sneak a glance at Felicity who he finds smiling at Carter with a pink tinge in her cheeks.

"Billionaire scion returns a reformed man after five years fighting for our country. There must be a bidding war for your life story, at least that's what my agent says."

He watches as Carter catches Felicity's gaze and winks at her to which she turns away and blushes deeper. It would seem that her little crush had survived the years. Oliver's hands clench tightly at his sides and they only tighten further as the group takes their seats around the table, Carter pulling Felicity's chair out for her and taking the seat beside her. What a fucking douchebag.

"Agent? I thought you were a neurosurgeon."

"It's crazy how things turn out. One minute I'm publishing a book on how long term potentiation initiates the creation of a slow moving protein synthesis and the next there's an agent trying to make me the next Dr. Oz."

Felicity practically coos in her seat as she leans her head into her hands and it makes Oliver want to vomit. Apparently Thea feels the same way because he catches her eyes as she makes a subtle choking noise and mimes throwing up. He lets out a soft laugh at that.

"I just really think it's our duty as Starling City's more fortunate to help those in need. "

"What other kinds of research have you been doing, Carter?"

Felicity speaks up from where she sits. The way she says his name, all breathy, irritates Oliver more than it should.

"Well currently I'm looking into setting up a free clinic in the Glades. It's not exactly ground breaking scientific research but I feel as though someone should do it."

The line is delivered with practiced humility that Oliver could see through a mile away.

"No, I think that's wonderful. The conditions there are horrible and I think the people would really benefit from a facility like that."

"I'm glad there are people as enthusiastic about it as I am."

They're interrupted then as the food is brought out and placed on the table. No one talks as they tuck into their first few bites of the delicious gourmet meal.

Robert speaks up for the first time that morning.

"So, Janice, Carter, will we be seeing you this evening at the CNRI fundraiser Tommy is hosting?"

Right, that was tonight. Oliver had all but forgotten about the event his friend was hosting, the event during which Tommy was planning on proposing to Laurel. There was no doubt in Oliver's mind that she would say yes. From what he heard over the years and has seen in person these past few weeks, his best friends are happy and they work well together. Tommy's fun-loving and humorous personality balances out Laurel's serious, no nonsense demeanor and vise versa. They are actually kind of a perfect match.

"Of course, Mr. Queen. The work that CNRI does is inspiring. It has the full support of the Bowen family and we wouldn't miss it for the world."

Great. Now he is going to be spending his evening watching Dr. McDouchebag fish for compliments and not so subtly brag about his work. Admittedly the mental nickname is childish at best but it's an apt description in Oliver's eyes.

Felicity lets out a small sigh from where she is seated.

He doesn't feel so bad about the nickname anymore.

….

"I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Tommy, stop freaking out. She is going to say yes."

"You don't know that!"

Oliver, Thea, and Felicity stand to the side of the simply decorated ballroom with Tommy who is in the midst of a breakdown over his proposal plans. It's ridiculous that he is acting this way. Tommy and Laurel have been together for nearly four years. Oliver would be shocked if she didn't already know about his plans for the evening.

"You said she has been dropping hints for months."

"She has. Tommy, last week she asked me and Thea for our opinions on winter versus summer weddings."

Felicity tries to assure Tommy as he shifts his weight, his right hand fidgeting with the velvet box in his pocket.

"I could have misinterpreted what she was saying. Maybe she really did just think that townhome was nice or that Kate Middleton's dress with the lace back was pretty."

Thea rolls her eyes at Tommy's logic. No woman talks about that with her boyfriend unless she's considering it. Especially not a woman like Laurel.

"Pull yourself together, Merlyn. I'm pretty sure she would have dumped you by now if she didn't want to marry your ass."

Oliver places a supporting hand on his best friend's shoulder before looking him dead in the eye.

"Laurel loves you, Tommy. She will say yes."

"Okay…"

Tommy lets out a deep sigh and beings to relax slightly. Then his eyes grow wide and stares at Oliver in horror as if something awful just occurred to him.

"What if she doesn't like the ring?"

"Oh for the love of God! I need a drink just talking to you."

Thea snags two champagne flutes off of a passing tray and hands one to Felicity while keeping the other for herself. Oliver throws his sister a disapproving glance but she only raises an eyebrow in challenge before taking a sip. They have other things to deal with right now so he turns backs to Tommy.

But he keeps an eye on Thea and Felicity, who hasn't taken a sip yet and seems content just to hold the glass in her hand.

"It's your mother's ring. She's going to love it."

"Who is going to love what?"

The group whips their heads around to find the woman they were just discussing walking up to them. Tommy's eyes zero in on her and Oliver can see that she has his full attention. He can also see that Tommy's nerves are getting the best of him so he speaks up on the behalf of his friend while Felicity hands Tommy the drink she's holding. He needs it more than her.

"Oh, Tommy was just worried that you wouldn't like the decorations, that's all."

"Babe, everything is perfect. I love it." Laurel places a hand on Tommy's chest and leans up to softly press her lips to his. "And I love you."

"I love you, too."

Seeing his best friends now, Oliver is glad they finally came together. The love between them is obvious and he's seen how they've both changed for the better since their initial hook up. There is no way in hell that Laurel would turn down Tommy's proposal.

"Oh, God, sis don't get all mushy like that when there's company around. Poor people's teeth are probably rotting just from looking at you two."

He turns at the sound of the familiar voice to find Sara joining their circle.

"Jerk."

Laurel laughs teasingly at her sister but doesn't step out of Tommy's hold.

"Ollie, since these two are being complete saps why don't I grab you for a dance. This is your only offer of rescue so I suggest you take it."

"Well how can I say no when you asked so nicely? Excuse me, Laurel, Tommy."

Oliver takes Sara's offered hand and leads her to the dance floor. One of his hands remains in hers while the other moves to rest at her waist. The black lace dress she is wearing clings to her like a second skin and where once it would get his blood pumping and result in him dragging her to the nearest room with a lock, now he only appreciates her beauty.

"You look beautiful, Sara."

"You don't look so bad yourself. Now spill, what's going on with Merlyn?"

Sara was always perceptive. It really shouldn't surprise him that she picked up on Tommy's distress so quickly.

"He's just a little… anxious about everything going smoothly this evening."

"Oh, so he's finally gonna pop the big question?" He raises an inquisitive eyebrow at that. "Tommy has never been one for subtlety. I was in their apartment a couple months ago. Idiot had left the ring box on their dresser. He's lucky I found it before Laurel did."

Of course Tommy would do that. Oliver can't help but laugh at his best friend's slip up.

He doesn't even try to deny Sara's deduction and they continue their dance until the song ends. When the music fades they pull apart and their attention is drawn to the stage at the front of the room where Tommy is currently standing, one hand holding Laurel's who is standing next to him and the other holding a microphone to his mouth.

"Excuse me, everyone. If I could have your attention for just a moment, please."

The room quiets as everyone turns to look at what is happening.

"First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who has come out tonight to support CNRI." He pauses as people applaud politely. "We have already raised so much money to help this organization keep doing what they are doing. I know that the wonderful people there really appreciate it. I may be a little biased but I think that what they do over at CNRI is pretty amazing."

Oliver watches as his best friend's stance quickly changes. Where just seconds ago he was the confidant Tommy Merlyn, charismatic businessman who knows how to command a room, he now fidgets and shifts his weight around, a sure sign of nerves.

"There is also something else I would like to say. You all know Laurel Lance, defense attorney at CNRI and my beautiful girlfriend of nearly four years. I just want to take a second to talk about how incredible this woman is and how lucky I am to have her in my life."

"Laurel, we've been best friends since that time in kindergarten when Oliver pulled on your pigtails and you pushed him down while telling him it wasn't nice to tease people who were smaller than him. I never told you this but I thought it was so cool that a girl did that. I'm pretty sure that's when my crush on you started and I don't think it ever stopped. Sure I dated other girls as we grew up and I never acted on my feelings, but I cared about you through it all more than almost anyone and I still do. You stuck by me and Ollie through thick and thin, even though you should have given up long ago. But that's what you do. You stand by the people who need you the most, even when others would have given up and I love that. Actually, I love everything about you. And I want show you that I'm going to stand by you for the rest of my life, too."

Laurel gasps as Tommy places the microphone back in its stand and slides down on one knee. He reaches into his pocket to pull out the velvet box that his fingers have been smoothing over since he placed it there while they got dressed early this evening. Gingerly he lifts the lid to reveal his mother's diamond engagement ring and Oliver can see tears begin to well in Laurel's eyes as she raises a hand to her mouth.

"I love you, Dinah Laurel Lance, and I want to spend the rest of my life by your side. So will you please do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

At this point tears are streaming down Laurel's face. She removes the hand from her mouth to reach down and cup Tommy's cheek as a smile spreads its way across her face. Frantically she shakes her head yes and Oliver can just make out the form of the word leaving her mouth in a whisper. Then Tommy slides to ring on her finger before standing to kiss her as loud applause and small shouts ring throughout the room. An arm wraps around Laurel's waist while the other reaches up to support her head as he dips her and she laughs into the kiss.

When they break apart and right themselves Tommy leans towards to microphone to speak.

"Wow, I didn't think she was going to say yes." The crowd laughs and Laurel lightly swats at his shoulder. "Thank you everyone for being here tonight and enjoy the rest of the party."

The music starts back up and Oliver watches as Tommy pulls Laurel to the dance floor. He's about to offer Sara another dance when Carter steps up to join them.

"That was quite the proposal. It's so nice to see Merlyn finally straightening out and settling down." It might just be him but Oliver thinks that maybe Dr. McDouchebag was taking a shot at him. "Sara, right? You're Laurel's sister?"

"Sara, you remember Carter Bowen from the academy, right?"

He might as well be the bigger person and get the introductions over with.

"Yes, it's great to see you! Last I heard you were off curing cancer or something."

Carter takes Sara's offered hand and kisses the back of it. The nickname still stands.

"Not quite. I'm actually considering opening a clinic here in the Glades. But that's not what I came over here to talk about."

"Then what did you come over here for?"

"Well, I saw a beautiful woman in a stunning dress and was hoping I could steal her away for a dance and maybe a drink."

Oliver expects her to say no. Sara can see through Carter's bullshit for days. So he's surprised when she accepts and lets him pull her towards the dance floor. It doesn't bother him or make him jealous. The relationship he has with Sara, if you can call it that, is nowhere near romantic in nature. They're friends, they fuck, that's it. It was always like that before he enlisted and their tryst after his homecoming was the same. Oliver is just shocked Sara is willing to put up with the jerk.

Just then, Moira arrives at her son's side with a man somewhere in his late forties to early fifties in tow.

"Oliver, sweetheart, there is someone I would like you to meet. This is Frank Bertinelli. Mr. Bertinelli has expressed an interest in the defense technology project."

Frank Bertinelli, the man Oliver suspects to be connected to the Italian mob and the attempt on Felicity's life, is standing right before him. There are only two reasons someone with this close of a connection would approach him. One is that Bertinelli really does not have anything to do with what happened the other night. The other is that this is part of his plan and that he is confident in the police's inability to pin him to it because of how well he has covered his tracks. Oliver is betting on the latter.

Unease begins to settle within him and eyes scan the room for Felicity but he can't find her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Oliver."

They shake hands in greeting, sizing each other up.

A part of him begins to fill with panic because he still can't spot Felicity anywhere in the room. He searches for the gold dress and forest green heels she was wearing when he saw her earlier but finds nothing.

"The pleasure is mine. I'm glad to hear people are interested in the project."

Oliver attempts to suppress his panic and focus on the conversation. Digg is here with them tonight and Oliver is more than confident in his friend's ability to take care of her. If something happened he would have found Oliver and told him so.

Right?

"I think it's a great thing that DefenseTech is trying to do. I was glad to hear that a locally based company was taking on the challenge."

"It's not all set in stone yet. We're working on the first prototypes and will be presenting the plans to DefenseTech within the next month or two and hopefully sign with them to get our funding and development underway."

As his eyes once again scan his surroundings, they land on the form of John Diggle crossing the room to Oliver. His stance isn't tensed and there's no urgency that Oliver can see in the way he moves. However, he knows Digg and he knows the man can put on a convincing front.

"Well, I was hoping that maybe we could come to a sort of business agreement. My company would like to extend an offer for a partnership of sorts on the project."

Diggle has made his way over to where they stand and clears his throat to catch their attention.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Queen, but I need to run a security detail by Oliver if you don't mind. It's urgent."

Oliver turns to Bertinelli to dismiss himself, the uneasiness that he suppressed moments ago returning fast.

"I'm afraid it looks like our conversation must be cut short. Maybe we can meet some other time to discuss your offer. Enjoy your evening."

He quickly follows Diggle as he crosses the room to an inconspicuous door on the other side.

"Diggle, what's going on? Where is Felicity? If something happened you need to tell me, now."

"Relax, Oliver, she's okay physically. However, I think she may have indulged herself in some of the refreshments."

Indulged herself in the… Oh.

That was Digg's subtle way of saying that Felicity was drunk. That's… strange. He's never associated Felicity with the irresponsible young teenager type. But then he remembers that she _is_ a teenager and he was doing much worse things at her age than getting drunk at fundraisers, much worse things that landed him in the local precinct more than once.

As they push through the door, Digg leads him around a corner to a stairwell. Felicity sits on the steps, head leaning against the wall and shoes kicked off her feet, lying at the bottom of the stairs. Her bottom lip juts out slightly and her brows are drawn together. She almost looks like she's pouting. It's kind of adorable.

"Felicity."

Her head snaps up to look at him and a smile spreads across her face.

"Oliver!" The smile disappears and turns back into a pout when she glances at Digg standing behind him. "Digg put me in time out."

He grins at her obviously inebriated state and turns to his friend.

"I can take it from here. Do you mind standing outside the door?"

"Sure thing, man."

Diggle exits the stairwell, leaving Oliver alone with Felicity. He takes the seat next to her on the steps and she immediately leans against him, sighing softly.

"So, what did you do to get put in time out?"

"I was bad. I think I drank a liiiittle bit too much."

She holds her fingers up to show him how much a little bit is before letting her hand fall on his shoulder and resting her chin on top of it. It brings their faces close and he can smell the slight hint of alcohol on her breath.

"Wasn't Tommy's proposal great? Laurel was so happy. I bet Tommy was too. Oh and Sara. She'll probably get to be maid of honor. Are you gonna be Tommy's best man? That was silly, of course you are! Oh that probably means you're going to escort Sara. Gorgeous, badass, older Sara…"

He watches Felicity as she babbles on, her eyes growing sad as she trails off.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong I'm grrrreat! Everything's great. Great, great, great."

"Felicity…"

She looks away from Oliver but he reaches out to gently turn her face back towards his.

"Sara is sooooo pretty."

He's surprised by what she chooses to tell him but decides to go along with it. Felicity almost always comes back to her point, even when her thoughts get away from her.

"Yes, she is."

"Do you like her?"

"I do. She's a very old friend and a good person."

Felicity shakes her head exaggeratedly which causes pieces of her hair to fall out of its loose up do and into her face. She clumsily reaches up to part the fallen strands and tucks them behind her ears.

"No, I mean do you _like_ _her_ like her? I didn't mean to interrupt the other week. I know why she was over. I'm eighteen, well not really but I will be in less than three weeks it's the same thing, not blind. Carter likes her, too, you know? I saw him dancing with her. I saw _you_ dancing with her. Everyone wants to dance with her. Gorgeous, badass, older Sara…"

Her words aren't jealous or bitter or resentful. They hold no ill will or spite. They come out simply, stated like facts. The only emotions Oliver can detect are melancholy and he thinks wistfulness.

"Felicity, Sara and I are just friends. That's all. And Carter? He's a gigantic ass. He's not worth your time."

Not to mention the mere thought of the good doctor having his hands anywhere near Felicity cause a flash of anger and something else to run through him.

"Are you?"

Felicity's hands slide to his shoulders and then to the sides of his neck. Her fingers lightly brush through the small hairs there. He can feel the smooth palms of her hands on his skin and the heat they emanate sends bursts of electricity through him.

"Are you worth my time?"

Part of him wants to say yes. It wants to grab onto her waist and close the distance between them, to pull her into his lap and meld his lips with hers until he hears her moan. He wants to feel her fingers run through his hair and scrape at his scalp, tugging him closer. He wants to know what she feels like, what she sounds like, what she tastes like.

But she's drunk and even if she weren't it would still be wrong. He realizes now that she may not find him as creepy and repulsive as he thought and that's not good, even if something inside him disagrees. He needs to draw a line. One that even though he mentally will cross probably a hundred more times will resonate with her and stop whatever this is between them from progressing any further, from going anywhere beyond the small crush she might have on him. What he says next has to giver her the impression that he is completely uninterested in anything other than friendship with her. He's going to have to do the one thing he has never done with Felicity. He's going to have to lie.

"Felicity, you're like a little sister to me. I would never waste your time."

Oliver watches as Felicity's entire demeanor falls. She pulls her hands away from him and lays them in her lap, shoulders hunching slightly. It's possible he even sees a tear fall down her cheek.

"Oh."

That's all she says as she avoids eye contact with him.

He wants to take it back. He wants to tell her that he lied, that he sees her as anything but a sister. That ever since he first saw her after getting back it's been a constant struggle to control himself around her. He knows he can't.

"You must be getting cold in here. Why don't I have Mr. Diggle take you home?"

"Yeah, okay."

Oliver stands from the stairs and offers Felicity a hand, which she ignores. Instead, she leans over to pick up her shoes and slip them back on before walking out of the stairwell with him.

"Hey, can you take Felicity back to the mansion?"

One look at the young girl is all Diggle needs to know that something is wrong. He doesn't question it, only nods and places a comforting hand on her back.

"Come on. Let's get you home okay?"

He guides her to the exit but not before throwing a glance at Oliver that tells him that he will be questioned on the situation later.

A sinking feeling forms in the pit of his stomach as he watches Felicity walk away. Her usually upbeat posture now defeated and crestfallen. He hates himself for being the cause of it when all he's ever wanted was to keep her safe and happy.

Oliver knows he's no good for her, that a relationship with him would bring ridicule and disapproval. Not to mention that Felicity deserves someone much less damaged and hollow than he is. He tells himself that she's young and she'll move on, that it was probably just a result of the innocent crush she had on him when she was younger. The crush he once thought was kind of adorable and loved to tease her about.

"Is that Felicity leaving with Mr. Diggle?"

Oliver turns to find Thea looking at the aforementioned pair in concern as they make their way to the exit.

"Yeah. She said she wasn't feeling well."

That's another lie to add to the list this evening.

"I'm going to go with her, make sure she's okay. Will you let mom know that we left?"

Thea is already walking away and headed over towards Felicity as she finishes her question, which is more of a statement really.

"Sure thing, Speedy."

Oliver watches as his sister catches up to her best friend. He can tell the second that Thea catches on to Felicity's downtrodden mood. She wraps an arm around the blonde's waist and squeezes, resting her head on her shoulder as they walk out the door. At least Felicity will have someone to be with her and cheer her up, even if it's not him.

Turning away from where his sister and Felicity just left, Oliver spots Tommy and Laurel a few feet away. He joins them to congratulate his best friends and distract himself from the girl whose heart he may have just broken.

It doesn't work nearly as well as he hoped it would.

….

**Author's Note: Please don't hate me or Oliver! It had to be done at some point. **

**Also, sorry this didn't end on a happy note. After this week's episode, I wish I could have changed it to do so.**

**Please let me know what you think :)**

**- Bri**


	7. Keep Your Friends Far Away

**Author's Note: Sorry this has taken longer than my ideal once a week update. I have had multiple end-of-the-school-year things going on with my university and various organizations and finals start this week. In addition, I lost my muse for a while and didn't want to post until I was at least a chapter ahead.**

….

Chapter 7: Keep Your Friends Far Away and Your Enemies Closer

Breakfast and the subsequent ride into Queen Consolidated the following Monday are awkward affairs to say the least. Oliver has been giving Felicity the space he thinks she needs while still trying to maintain suitable interaction with her. He can't have her as part of his life in a romantic sense, but he still wants to keep the camaraderie and trust they have built up over the years he was away and since his return. It's selfish to keep her so close after realizing that her feelings for him might not be strictly platonic, but it's been a long time since he felt this open with anyone. That's not something he's willing to give up just yet.

They currently sit in the backseat of the town car, the silence around them screaming at him louder than any voice ever could. This is the first time that they've been together without anyone else around to deflect the tension. And there is definitely tension. It fills the empty space, pressing against them, an invisible pressure. He wants to say something, anything just so he can hear her voice. What that means regarding his feelings towards her he isn't sure, but he _is_ sure that it's not something he wants to read into right now.

"I'm sorry."

Felicity's apology startles Oliver. He wasn't expecting her to break the silence and he definitely wasn't expecting her to break the silence with an apology.

"I… What?"

"I'm sorry. About the other night at the fundraiser. I had too much to drink and I overstepped my boundaries. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. It won't happen again."

Taking a second to process what she's saying, Oliver realizes that Felicity is taking what happened the other night completely onto her shoulders and making it solely her responsibility. She probably feels embarrassed by the whole ordeal. But if anyone should be embarrassed by his or her actions towards the other, it's him.

In addition, he can list more times than the number of fingers on his hands that he had done humiliating and shameful things in his youth. Peeing on a cop is one of the first that comes to mind. Felicity getting tipsy at a fundraiser and leaving early doesn't even hold a candle to his slipups.

"Felicity, I should have been more careful with how I acted around you. I realize now how you could have misinterpreted," or correctly interpreted, "some of my actions and that's my fault. Sometimes I forget that you're not actually family and that the openness we have isn't exactly typical. But I want to keep that, if you're okay with it that is. I don't want to lose you as a friend."

That sounds practiced and faulty even to his ears.

"No, of course. We're like family. It was just a small lapse in judgment. I used to have this silly little crush on you when we first met, must have been some of that speaking last night. It won't be a problem again."

This strangely feels like the part of a break-up where the two individuals try to remain friends but ultimately can't. Not that he's exactly experienced with those. Most of his youth was spent bouncing from one bed to the next. He'd had a few girlfriends here and there but it was usually he who did the breaking up and typically that didn't include much talking. In fact, his favorite tactic was to not talk to the girl at all. She usually got the hint after a week or so. Again, another part of Oliver's younger years that he wishes he could take back. None of those girls deserved the treatment they received from him.

"Ms. Smoak, Mr. Queen, we're here."

The driver politely informs them via an intercom built into the car. A divider remains standing between them, assuring their privacy. Oliver pushes on the button to reply with his thanks before turning to Felicity.

"Walk you in?"

He desperately needs to make sure that she won't try to shut him out despite having just been told that she won't.

"Sure, okay. Mr. Diggle is meeting us in the lobby, right?"

"Yes. He should be there now."

Oliver had sent his friend a text earlier this morning to confirm that he would meet them at Queen Consolidated. Even though Felicity had initially argued that the security in the building was enough, after reviewing the department both Oliver and Diggle had agreed that the extra set of eyes wouldn't hurt. She had huffed in annoyance at Oliver's persistence but left it at that.

Exiting the car, Oliver holds the door open and extends a hand to help Felicity out. She cautiously accepts it but her grip is loose in his and the second she's steady on her feet she ends the contact.

"So, what's on the agenda for you today?"

He just wants to keep her talking, to hear her endearing rambles and genuine thoughts.

"Probably more email resets and wiping computer hard drives for some exec that clicked on a bogus pop up add."

The exasperation in her voice makes him chuckle slightly.

"Does that happen a lot?"

"Daily. So don't go getting any ideas. Avoid pop ups at all cost and no porn sites. Not that you watch porn or that I would know if you did. That's totally up to you. I'm just saying it's one of the number one sources for viruses and harmful trojans. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about though."

There's his Felicity.

No. Not _his_ Felicity, just the Felicity that everyone knows, the babbling blonde with the genius IQ. She is in no way his. Even if part of him wishes otherwise. Even if part of him knows that part of her, however big or small, wants that too.

"What about you? Anything exciting going on during your first full week as a businessman, Mr. Queen?"

"I have a meeting with a potential investor lined up in an hour."

He doesn't mention that said potential investor is Frank Bertinelli, rumored mob boss of the Italian organized crime group that might be responsible for the attempt on Felicity's life.

A screeching of tires in the near distance causes Oliver to divert his gaze from the blonde at his side. A motorcycle cuts around the corner of the QC building, veering up onto the sidewalk.

The next moments occur in slow motion for Oliver. Felicity must have asked him something because he can see her steps halt as she turns to look at him out of the corner of his eye. He doesn't pay too much attention to this because his attention has zeroed in on the motorcyclist as the man reaches down to pull a small black object from his side. A gun.

"GET DOWN!"

Diggle's shout registers in the back of his mind right as the shot rings out. Oliver dives for Felicity, knocking her to the ground and covering her body with his, but not before he hears her cry of pain. The accelerator on the vehicle revs and roars as it speeds away and just like that it's over within seconds.

"Digg! Get a visual on the license plate!"

The sound of pounding feet on pavement fades, replaced with worried shouts around them and pained, heavy breathing beneath him. Oliver yells for someone to call 911 before focusing his attention on Felicity.

"Felicity! Felicity, are you okay?"

"My shoulder."

Her eyes are screwed shut in pain and her right hand clutches at her upper left arm.

"Let me see."

Gently, Oliver shifts off of her and maneuvers Felicity into a semi sitting position, doing his best to ignore the small whimpers of pain she's emitting, trying to remain clinical.

"I'm going to need to take your cardigan off to get a better look. I'll try to move your shoulder as little as possible but it's still going to hurt."

Felicity grunts in acknowledgement before squeezing her eyes tighter together in preparation for his actions. First he slides her uninjured arm from the sweater. That's the easy part. As he begins to peel the other sleeve off Felicity bites hard at her bottom lip to prevent herself from screaming. It doesn't prevent her from crying out completely though and she bites down harder, drawing blood. It causes Oliver to wince. He hates being the one to cause her more pain, but it has to be done.

When her cardigan is removed and Oliver can get a clear visual of the wound, he sighs in relief. It's a through and through and the bleeding is minimal, meaning no significant veins or arteries have been damaged. She will be okay once the wound has been stitched up and she's given prescription painkillers. He balls up her sweater and presses it overtop her injury, his force firm but gentle as to lessen the pain and stanch the flow of blood.

"The bullet didn't hit anything vital. You should be okay with a few stitches and some prescription painkillers once the paramedics get here."

"Stitches? As in needle and thread in my skin? I think I'm going to be sick."

As if to prove her point, Felicity lists to the side and Oliver catches on to her good arm to steady her. A disoriented look crosses her face and it takes her longer than it should to focus back on him.

"Felicity? Felicity, look at me. Did you hit your head?"

Her response is delayed and comes out sluggishly, slightly garbled.

"I think so. It hurts and everything is kind of spinny."

Felicity's eyes flutter shut for longer than normal before she opens them again. Then her body falls forward into Oliver's, crashing into his chest.

"Whoa, who tilted the Earth and can you please put it back upright?"

"Okay, I need you to do something for me. I need you to keep your eyes open and stay awake until the paramedics arrive. Can you do that for me?"

"Mhmm, surrrrre."

Oliver holds Felicity to him, her head now resting on his shoulder, while they wait for the paramedics to arrive. He knows the bullet wound will need stitches and he is almost one hundred percent sure that she has a concussion from when he knocked her to the concrete. Guilt flows through him for causing the injury but the alternative would have been much, much worse.

"Oliver."

Diggle jogs to stand next to him, chest heaving in an effort to catch his breath.

"Did you get him?"

"No. The son of a bitch out maneuvered me."

Anger flows through him. Not at Digg, he knows catching a moving vehicle on foot is a difficult, near impossible feat. No, his anger is directed at the motorcyclist who shot at Felicity and the fact that this man has gotten away with it, at least for now.

The sound of sirens reaches his ears as an ambulance comes speeding down the street to stop in front of the Queen Consolidated building. Two paramedics jump out and quickly make their way over to where Oliver is sitting with Felicity in his arms. He stands to meet them as a stretcher is pulled over in their direction.

"What happened?"

"Bastard came around on a motorcycle and shot at her. She has a through in through in her left shoulder and more than likely a concussion from the fall when I knocked her out of the way."

Once the stretcher is set up, Oliver slides Felicity onto it, careful not to jostle her too much and cause more pain. One of the paramedics begins to check her over, taking vitals and examining the injury on her shoulder as well as prodding the back of her head. The other continues to talk with Oliver and then Diggle about the occurrence.

Once Felicity's on-site examination is through, the woman who checked her over informs Oliver that his assessment of her injuries was correct. They'll need to take her to the hospital, something he expected and was fully in support of, just to make sure she was okay and to keep her under observation for a few hours.

"I'm going with her."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Queen, but family only in the vehicle. She's not in critical condition and should be fine during the ride over."

"Someone just attempted to kill her. If you think I'm going to let her go alone then you've got another thing coming to you."

Oliver steps closer to the male EMT who spoke up, intimidating the man and causing him the shuffle backwards. There is no way Felicity is getting in that ambulance unprotected. If the attacker doubled back and something happened to the vehicle Oliver would never forgive himself. Diggle places a firm hand on his shoulder to restrain him before stepping up to calmly speak with the paramedic.

"Listen, I know it's standard protocol to limit passengers in an ambulance, but the girl has just been shot and is suffering from a concussion, not to mention this is now the second attempt on her life in as many weeks. She's disoriented and most likely panicked. If you won't let Mr. Queen ride with her, at least allow her bodyguard to sit in the front."

The paramedic gives it a minute of consideration. Within that minute Oliver begins to contemplate every possible way he could get the man fired if anything happens to Felicity.

"That should be fine."

With the paramedic's go-ahead Oliver crosses over to where Felicity is half-laying on the stretcher, eyes slightly glazed but still open.

"Hey..." He speaks to her softly, garnering her attention. "They're gonna take you to the hospital now to close up the wound and run some scans to make sure you didn't hurt your head too badly."

"M'kay."

Her sighed response worries Oliver, causing him to reach out and cup her cheek. She immediately leans further into his touch and the action causes warmth to spread through his chest. He angles her head so that they are making direct eye contact, helping her focus on him and his words.

"They won't let me ride with you but they said Digg could. I'll follow you in his car, okay?"

"You're coming to the hospital, too? Are you hurt?"

Felicity's eyebrows pull together in consternation and her hand lazily brushes his arm before gripping his bicep, as if she's attempting to check him for injury. In any other situation Oliver would easily be distracted by her soft caress. But right now all he cares about and can focus on is Felicity and her wellbeing.

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm going to be with you, to make sure you are okay."

"Oh. Okay."

Her face relaxes and she graces him with a small, lazy smile before she lays back on the stretcher.

"Excuse me, Mr. Queen. I don't want to interrupt but we need to get her to the hospital."

Although he's annoyed at the interruption, Oliver realizes that the paramedic is right and so gives him a nod in assent before stepping back with Digg. They agree to meet in whatever room Felicity will be assigned and Digg hands Oliver the keys to his car, parked in the QC garage, before climbing into the passenger side of the ambulance. It speeds away, sirens sounding, and Oliver is on his feet, headed towards the garage in record time. He has the forethought to send a quick text to the intern assisting the project, Barry Allen it reads in his phone, to cancel all appointments for the day, including the one with Frank Bertinelli. It's probably better this way. Oliver isn't sure what he would do to the man if left alone with him and that wouldn't work well with his plan at all.

….

Forty-three minutes later Oliver enters the hospital room Felicity is being kept in. Not that he was counting. Or broke several different traffic laws to get here in almost half the time it should normally take unless he were in the emergency vehicle itself.

As Oliver cuts around the corner of the hallway, he sees Diggle standing outside of a room on the left. His stride quickens, closing the space between him and where Felicity is. Digg informs him of what's happening, she was given a local anesthetic before they stitched the bullet wound shut and the doctor just arrived to perform a routine check and examine her head. Once Digg is finished briefing him, Oliver enters the private room that he ensured Felicity be placed in.

"Can you follow the light with your eyes for me, Felicity?"

The doctor, a friend of the Queen family by the name of Dr. Lamb, shines a light at Felicity's eyes. She squints at the initial brightness, before her eyes somewhat come into focus, and does what she was asked. From his vantage point, Oliver can see that she is still a little slow in processing the movement but her perception and focus are better than when he talked to her initially after receiving the injury. It causes him to relax slightly. This means she likely did not sustain any major head trauma from the blow. The guilt he was too preoccupied to pay attention to begins to recede.

"Okay, a little slow, but not too bad. Let's try a few other small tests."

After a few other examinations Dr. Lamb makes a positive noise and quickly jots a few notes down onto his clipboard. Oliver takes the opportunity to further enter the room, grabbing the attention of its other two occupants.

"Oliver, I'm glad you're here. I was just about to order a CT scan for Felicity."

"Is something wrong?"

He was sure that the damage hadn't been that bad.

"No, nothing is wrong. It's just standard procedure. I'm confident in saying that the only injury sustained besides the shot to her shoulder is a grade two concussion. She should be fine to go home later tonight."

"Thank you."

The doctor nods before leaving Oliver and Felicity alone in the room to put in the order for the scan.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. It hurts like a bitch and I nearly got sick as they pulled the thread through my skin, oh God I might get sick after all, but other than that I'm fine."

He's happy to see that she's much more coherent now than she was before.

"Felicity!"

Thea comes barreling through the door and heads straight for her best friend. Her arms wrap tightly around Felicity who let's out a small cry of pain, causing Thea to pull back instantly.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I just… Mr. Diggle called mom and told her what happened and we came here as fast as possible and I'm just so happy you're okay."

Oliver glances towards the door to find Moira standing there, a hand fisted and resting over her heart. Next to her stands John and Oliver nods at him in thanks. He didn't even think to call his family.

"You're going to be okay, right?"

"Yeah, I was shot in the shoulder and the doctor says I have a concussion but I'll be okay. He said I could probably go home tonight."

"Oh thank God. I can't lose my best friend, Lissy."

Thea's hand grips Felicity's tightly and Oliver can see tears in both girls' eyes. They provide each other with strength and stability, something Oliver is happy to see. Even though a part of him wishes he could be that person for his sister, he knows that Felicity is much more stable and reliable a person than he. Had he been here with them the past five years, Oliver's not sure if Felicity and Thea would have been this close. At least one good thing came from his absence.

He steps forward to gently place a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"She's going to be fine, Speedy. Maybe a bit out of it for a few days but after that she will be good as new."

Thea gives him a watery smile and nods in response.

"Excuse me, but I need to take Ms. Smoak for her scan."

An attending comes in with a nurse and they quickly take Felicity away to be tested, leaving Moira, Thea, Diggle, and Oliver in the room to wait. Oliver offers Moira and Thea the two chairs propped against the hotel room wall and motions for Diggle to step into the room.

"Oliver, what happened?"

Moira's worry is evident in her posture but her voice doesn't waver in her inquiry.

"We were walking into Queen Consolidated when a guy sped around on a motorcycle. It caught my attention and I saw him aim a gun at Felicity. He took the shot and I knocked her out of the way but not before he hit her shoulder. She hit her head on the concrete from the fall and that's how the concussion happened."

Detached, clinical, to the point. That's the only way he can deal with this right now.

"Oh God…"

Moira takes in an unsteady breath and covers her mouth with her hand.

It's overwhelming news, learning that someone out there is trying to maim, _kill_ a loved one. Oliver has been exposed to that firsthand. But Thea and Moira, they've never gone through anything remotely close to this.

"Mom, Felicity is going to be okay."

Being the comforter, that's not something Oliver is familiar with. Pain, anger, worry those are all emotions he's come to know well. But dealing with those in other people is a whole different thing. Standing here, now, in a hospital while Felicity is somewhere in a room being scanned and tested, is a terrifying situation for all of them. The difference is he has dealt with this before. His family has not.

A knock on the door draws their attention as Detective Lance walks in. Oliver questions the man before he even gets a chance to greet them.

"Detective. Do you have any leads on the shooter?"

"No, no I'm afraid the only leads we have are the ones from the other night. Did you get a good look at the guy?"

Oliver's hands clench and he lets out a sigh of frustration.

"No. I was too distracted making sure Felicity was okay to go after him. My friend Mr. Diggle here might have though."

Quentin turns to the bodyguard in question and raises an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"I'm sorry, he was wearing a helmet and going too fast for me to get the license plate number down."

"Don't worry. We'll find the son of a bitch."

An air of frustration permeates the room. They can't find the shooter if the only details they have are that it may or may not be mob related. The lack of information is starting to anger Oliver.

"We better."

….

The rhythmic pounding of fists against a punching bag allows Oliver to get lost in himself. His swings are relentless as they beat the synthetic covering, leaving fist-shaped indents in their wake. It's late, or early depending on how you look at it, but he can't sleep. Instead of his typical haunting nightmares and insomnia, Oliver is kept awake with anger, adrenaline, and fear. The fear isn't for himself; it's for the babbling blonde asleep upstairs.

The worst part is that he can't do anything about it. Until they identify who is responsible for the now two attempted murders, there's nothing for him to do but sit and wait. Two things that Oliver does not do well.

He's a man of action. If there's a problem, he dives in headfirst to take care of it. Defense is not a position he plays well, especially when someone he cares about is in danger.

"Oliver, it's nearly three in the morning. Go get some rest."

Diggle enters the training room of the mansion and slowly saunters towards his friend.

"I can't."

The sound of pounding becomes louder as the force behind Oliver's punches increases.

"Felicity is going to be okay. Thea's asleep in her room with her and I'm checking in on them every hour."

"Make it every thirty minutes."

"Oliver."

Instead of looking at his former brother in arms, Oliver moves from the punching bag to the rowing machine. He yanks on the chords at a relentless pace; sweat dripping from every pore in his body.

"I was supposed to have a meeting with Frank Bertinelli today."

There a pause in conversation as Diggle takes that piece of information in.

"Let me get this straight. You had a meeting with a rumored mob boss whose subordinates may be responsible for the attempt, now attempts, on Felicity's life and didn't think it was a good idea to tell me?"

Oliver can hear the disapproval and incredulity in Digg's voice.

"The other night at the fundraiser he expressed his interest in the weaponry project. He's the only lead we have and I needed an in."

"Still, she's my charge. That would have been important information I needed to know. You called me to help you keep her safe. I can't do that if you don't tell me what's going on."

"If you had known you would have been on high alert and had Bertinelli run into you he would have noticed."

"You're not in this alone, Oliver. We need to work together if we are going to keep Felicity out of harms way. I can't do my job if you're keeping secrets."

Digg is right. Oliver knows he is. But he hasn't exactly been thinking straight, caring only about finding who is responsible for this and putting an end to them. Now that he has time to think, to breathe, he realizes that not letting Digg know about his meeting with Bertinelli could have seriously put Felicity's life in jeopardy. He needs to give Diggle his full disclosure.

"You're right. I had the meeting reschedule for tomorrow night, well tonight now, at Bertinelli's home."

"Okay, so Felicity is shot at and they way you are choosing to process this emotionally is through brutal workouts at ungodly hours of the night and by infiltrating the mob under the guise of a possible business partnership?"

"I'm not trying to process this emotionally, Digg."

Oliver pauses in his workout, reaching for his nearby water bottle to take a swig, and then finally looking over at his friend.

"Yeah, well maybe that's you're problem, man. Have you thought about, I don't know, just going to check in on her?"

His mind flashes to the conversation with Felicity in the car this morning. It feels like days ago that it happened but also like only moments have passed since. He can clearly conjure up the distance she put between them, both physically and mentally. He recalls the way he had to goad her into talking with him, Felicity whose mouth usually runs a mile a minute and in a million different directions.

"Something tells me that might not go over very well. But what I can do is follow every lead I have. And when I find out who this guy is, Diggle, I'm going to have him locked away behind iron bars."

Oliver turns back to his workout, signaling the end of that conversation. He can hear the footfalls of his friend as he makes his way towards the door.

"You know, Oliver, you're not the only one who lost people that day. They were my comrades, too. This anger you're harboring, it's going to eat you up alive if you keep isolating yourself from the people who care about you like this."

The closing of the door rings louder than it should on his way out.

….

"Ollie, where are you going?"

Damn it.

Oliver has been avoiding his sister all day, which up until this point was proving to be rather easy since she spent most of it in bed with a still recovering Felicity to keep her company and make sure she was okay. He was in the foyer, just about to leave for his meeting with Frank Bertinelli, when Thea stopped him.

"Speedy. I was just heading out for a business dinner. What's up?"

"Oh you know, I was just wondering why you haven't come to check on Felicity once."

Thea crosses her arms in front of her and glares at him. It's obvious that his seeming lack of concern has angered her.

"I've just been busy going over some basic details for the Applied Sciences project, preparing for this meeting, which I will be late to if I don't leave within the next minute."

It's half true. He really has been looking over the outlines and schematics for what the division has planned. It's impressive, to say the least. However, he's also been actively avoiding them. He figures that after everything that has happened, space is the least he can do for Felicity.

Oliver doesn't tell Thea about how he checked in on them during the early hours of the morning when they were fast asleep.

"No, you are not getting out of this one. I have been with Felicity all day, not that I mind because she's my best friend. Hell, Mr. Diggle has been, too. Even dad stopped in to check on her this morning before he left for work."

"I've just been really busy, Thea."

His sister stalks over to him, head shaking in indignation.

"Cut the crap, Ollie. Tell me what's really going on."

Just then, Tommy rushes through the front door, saving Oliver from Thea's intense scrutiny.

"Hey, I heard about Felicity. Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's resting upstairs."

"Not that Ollie would know because he hasn't seen her once since she got back from the hospital."

Tommy glances between the two siblings, sensing the tension from the conversation he interrupted.

"Now is not the time, Thea. Sorry, Tommy, I gotta run to this business thing. But thank you for coming by. I'm sure Felicity will be thrilled to see you."

"It's no problem, man. Felicity is like a little sister to me, too."

Right, because that's exactly how Oliver sees her. He sees her just like a little sister. A little sister who isn't related to him at all and whose colorful nails and brightly painted lips star in his dreams quite frequently. God, he needs help.

"Yeah."

Oliver quickly grabs his keys and strides towards the front door. Just as it's about to slam shut behind him, he hears Thea call out.

"Don't think you're off the hook, Ollie!"

Wouldn't dream of it.

….

The grand wooden and glass door of the mansion opens, revealing an older man with brown, slightly graying hair and a hooked nose.

"Oliver, welcome."

"Mr. Bertinelli."

The two men shake hands in greeting as they enter the foyer, door falling shut behind them.

"Please, call me Frank. Thank you for agreeing to meet me at my home and at such late hours."

"My father used to say that living rooms make the best conference rooms."

"Oh, I'm gonna steal that one."

Bertinelli nods his head, chuckling in agreement before gesturing to a man who has been standing in the background.

"This is Nick Solvate, my associate." Oliver quickly greets the man, noting the gun not quite hidden underneath his suit jacket. "Please, let's have a drink."

They cross the foyer and enter a smaller, more intimate room with large sofas and a grand fireplace built into the wall. Bertinelli gestures for Oliver to take a seat on one of the leather sofas while he fetches them a drink. It gives Oliver the time to survey his surroundings, noting all exits and possible weapons.

"So, Oliver, I saw on the news about that young girl your family is so fond of. What's her name, again?"

"Felicity Smoak. She's a long time friend of my younger sister. My parents took her in a few years back, while I was deployed."

"Smoak. Any relation to Karen Smoak?"

A chill sets in Oliver's bones. Speaking so personally about Felicity with the man who might be responsible for her attempted murders sets him on edge. But this is what he came here for, to see if there was a connection between Frank Bertinelli, the mob, and Karen Smoak that would result in Felicity's endangerment. The only physical sign of Oliver's distress lies in his locked jaw.

"Karen is her mother. They don't speak very often."

"Oh. Well I am terribly sorry about what happened to the poor thing. They mentioned she was shot. Will she be okay?"

Bertinelli's words are kind but lack an air of sincerity and worry usually accustomed with this kind of inquiry.

"Yes, she's recovering as we speak."

"That is good to hear. I wish her a quick and easy recovery."

"You and me both."

The men pause in order to take a pull of the amber liquid in their glasses. A cell phone rings and Bertinelli's associate, whom Oliver knows is not simply a business partner, leaves the room to take the call.

"Oliver, I'm going to be blunt. I want the contract to partner with Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division. Specifically to work on the project for Defense Tech."

"And I'm inclined to hear you out on it."

"The violence in this city, in this world, it's terrible. Take for example what happened with young Ms. Smoak yesterday. Sometimes I wonder why I stay."

"I've had similar thoughts."

"So why come back? After all those years in the Army, you could have gone anywhere in the world."

"Because Starling City is my home."

Bertinelli murmurs an Italian phrase in response to which Oliver raises a questioning eyebrow.

"No matter which way you go or turn, you always end up at home."

Just then, Bertinelli's guard returns to the room, expression firm and stony.

"Excuse me, sir, that meeting you requested, they can do it. Now."

The conflict is evident in Bertinelli's eyes and Oliver quickly jumps in.

"I can come back another time."

"No, no, no, just… Excuse us for a moment please."

The businessman ushers his associate to the side. They exchange quick heated words and it seems that Solvate is attempting to refuse whatever his boss is saying. It grows heated but simmers down when Bertinelli finally nods in assent and the pair makes their way back over to where Oliver is standing.

"Unfortunately, I have to take this meeting. But I would like to invite both you and your lovely family over for a dinner in hopes that I can make it up to you. Maybe you and I can sit down with your parents as well and have a chat about the partnership. I'm sure your sister and her friend could find something to entertain them while we talk business."

A dinner with Oliver's entire family, including Felicity, at Bertinelli's home would put her right in the middle of the mob's clutches. Oliver's immediate instinct is a deep and resounding no.

"Oh, that' really not necessary. I'm sure my assistant can schedule you in later this week. I wouldn't want to put you through the trouble of hosting a dinner."

"Don't be ridiculous. My daughter, Helena, will be back in town with her fiancé and I was planning on holding a dinner while they were here. It would be my pleasure to have the Queen family join us. I'm sure a few of my associates would be thrilled to attend as well."

Oliver cannot think of a way out of this one. If he is going to get more information on the mob and find a connection to Karen, then he has to remain in good standing with Frank. In the end, he reluctantly makes his decision.

"Sure, dinner sounds wonderful."

….

**Author's Note: I might have to skip a week again but after that we should be getting back to once a week updates because school will be over for me and I don't start work until June. I appreciate all the enthusiasm but also please understand that I have other things that take priority over writing, which I do for fun in my spare time.**

**But hey! season finale next week! (I'll probably end up crying on my couch with a bottle of wine and a pint of Ben & Jerry's for one reason or another.) Get excited!**

**Thank you for you're patience and understanding :)**

**- Bri**


	8. The World Doesn't Stop For Anyone

**Author's Note: Okay, so I should be getting back to a regular update schedule shortly. I'm finally done with university for the summer and I don't start working full time until June. That being said, I take the time that I do with updating so that I can give you all the best quality I possibly can. Thank you for hanging in there with me :)**

….

Chapter 8: The World Doesn't Stop For Anyone, But Mine Does For You

The sound of fingers tapping against a keyboard greets Oliver as he makes his way into his home office on the upper floor of the mansion, just down the hall from the family wing. Diggle sits at the desk, eyes reading over whatever information is on the computer screen.

"Hey, what's going on? Is Felicity okay?"

Oliver had sped home as fast as he could after his meeting with Bertinelli. Digg called to inform him that something had come up with Felicity's situation. His friend's voice was incessant but not urgent or worried. Regardless, it had still put Oliver on edge.

"She's fine. Still in bed watching some chick flick with Thea. Tommy was with them for awhile but he left about thirty minutes ago."

Relief floods through Oliver, allowing his muscles to relax and his thoughts to stop racing.

"Okay, so what did you call about?"

"I found a possible lead. Years ago, before Karen took the job in Central, the company she was employed at was working on a partnership with another firm. Nick Solvate, one of Bertinelli's associates, was a supervisor on the project. Guess who else was one of the lead supervisors?"

"I'm going to take Karen Smoak for 500."

"You would be right. Thing is, she split from the company before the contract was fully drafted and legally processed. It ended up falling through and Bertinelli lost a lot of money because of it."

It's the first break they've had since the shooting at his party and it confirms Felicity's initial musings. Even if she had just been pulling at straws when she mentioned her mother that night, Oliver had seen merit in the theory. He's glad he stuck with it.

"And speaking of business partnerships, how'd the meeting go with Bertinelli?"

"I… it didn't get very far."

"What?"

"Bertinelli got pulled away on business. But he invited the entire Queen family over for dinner on Friday, including Felicity."

"And you said no, right?"

Oliver reaches up to scratch at the back of his neck both in uneasiness and irritation.

"I couldn't. I had to agree to it."

"Oliver, you know there is no way in hell that it's safe for Felicity in that place."

He knows, he more than knows. The entire car ride back to the manor from Bertinelli's was spent in a hectic state of mind. He tried to think of any possible excuse for Felicity not to go. There was no solid proof to give that Bertinelli was leading the mob so he couldn't just accuse the man and then force her to stay here. Moira and Robert would also insist that they all go, as the invitation was extended to the entire family and if Thea went, she would make damn sure Felicity went to.

"Don't you think I understand that, Dig? I care about her. She's part of the family. I would never want to put her in harms way. But there's no way around it. If we want inside information on Bertinelli, I have to gain his trust. He can't know we suspect anything."

The look on Diggle's face is full of anger, anger and reluctant acceptance. Because there isn't a way out of this and Felicity is going to be in even more danger than she already is.

"I know what I'm doing, Dig."

"Do you?"

He does. He knows what he's planning on doing and he knows how dangerous it all is. But whatever it takes to stop the person going after Felicity, he'll do it.

"I'm going to check on Felicity. And Thea."

Exiting the office and leaving an exasperated Diggle behind, Oliver heads in the direction of Felicity's room down the hall. It's late, late enough that the girls, or at least Felicity, might be asleep. That's his hope at least. The plan was to give Felicity her distance, her time to recover. Things were strained, awkward between them before she was shot. He didn't want to put any unnecessary stress on her while she was healing.

But something inside of him is begging for her to be awake. He needs to hear her talk at a rate faster than any normal person can, needs to see her genuine smile and the blush that warms her cheeks when she slips and says something inadvertently sexual. He needs to see her alive and well and herself.

He just needs her.

The strength of his thoughts gives Oliver pause, physically bringing him to a halt just a few steps away from Felicity's door.

Since his return, Oliver has become accustomed to his heated thoughts about his sister's brilliant best friend. However, he's put that down to simple physical attraction. He is a man, a man who was very limited in sexual activity for five years, and Felicity is a beautiful woman. Well, technically girl, but she will be eighteen soon enough. Really, she hasn't been simply a girl in his eyes since his return, not just because of her physical appearance but also because of the maturity and attitude towards life that she possesses. The term girl doesn't contain enough substance to describe the person that Felicity is.

That brings Oliver to his newfound problem. Somewhere down the road the pull he feels towards Felicity has become more than physical. Where once it was easy for him to distinguish between physical attraction and personal admiration, Oliver now finds those things scrambling together and becoming one, the attraction no longer purely carnal. This is more dangerous than the physical. This is emotional and he's not prepared for what that entails.

Oliver almost continues on, past Felicity's room and to his own, when he hears a cry of pain coming from behind the closed door. In no time at all he's at her door, giving a quick knock of warning before pushing it open.

He instantly wishes he hadn't.

Because Felicity is standing by her bed, back facing the door, in a pair of tiny boy shorts and her shirt halfway off, tangled around her shoulders and twisted arms.

"Oh good, you're back. Can you come help me get this shirt over my bad shoulder? I desperately need to get some water and yummy smelling lavender and chamomile soap on my body. You know that healing, herbal stuff Laurel bought us for Christmikah that I've never used? Yeah that sounds really good right now."

Jesus Christ.

Before he can stop it, an image of Felicity, naked and wet in the shower forms itself in his mind. Her smooth skin, slick and sudsy with soap, bubbles sliding down her body from the top of her collarbone to the valley of her breasts, over her navel where some of them catch and cling to her skin before continuing their path down to the space between her legs where they disappear. He imagines her toned body stretching as she reaches up and runs her fingers through her hair, rinsing out her shampoo. He can almost see her hands running across her own skin, touching and gliding over every surface. The thought instantly brings heat to his body, a fire flowing through his veins and heading south.

"Thea, hello, a little help – Oliver! Oh my God! Shit! You're definitely not Thea!"

He's brought out of his completely inappropriate musings by Felicity's surprised shouts. For a second he just stares at her, jaw slightly unhinged, as she scrambles to cover herself without hurting her shoulder. Then he realizes that he's basically been caught gawking at Felicity's half-naked body and spins around to face away from her, giving her the privacy she needs to cover up.

"I, uh, I'm sorry. I heard you shout and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

The rustling of sheets mixes with mumbled cursing as Felicity gets situated behind him.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I was just trying to take a shower. Who knew getting naked could be so hard?" He could make it easy for her. "Gah, my brain thinks of the worst way to say things. I really need to get a filter for that."

There's an awkward beat where neither one of them exactly knows what to say. Eventually, Oliver figures it's his responsibility to break the silence, seeing as he was the one who barged in and put them in this position in the first place.

"I should have waited for you to answer before coming in. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I mean, it's not much different from seeing me in a bikini, right? And since I'm like a sister to you, it's really no biggie. Don't worry about it. No harm no foul. Thea's seen me in less. So has Tommy actually. But that was an accident and he spent the following week avoiding eye contact and blushing whenever we were in the same room. Not that I was much better off. Wow, now that I think about it that was really embarrassing."

"Tommy has seen you in less than your bra and shorts?"

Apparently Felicity isn't the only one who needs a filter.

"Uhm… maybe?"

Oliver's teeth grind together and his fists clench as a whole different kind of heat from the one he experienced earlier fills him.

"You can turn around now, by the way. I'm decent."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Oliver, I am sure that currently every inch of my body except for my face is covered by this ridiculously soft and expensive duvet cover."

For a second he contemplates not turning around. He could just brush it off as hearing her cry of pain and making sure she was okay. He could offer to find Thea to help her. He could give her some excuse about having a lot of work to get done and make his exit. There are a lot of things he could do to escape this awkward exchange.

But he doesn't.

Because he came to Felicity's room for a reason, to see her and make sure she was okay. Now that he's here, Thea's earlier questioning returns to him and floods him with guilt. He should have checked on her sooner. Yes, things between them were strained, but Felicity was one of the most important people in his life. He owed it to her to be there for her in whatever capacity she needed because she had been there for him so many times before. He wanted her to know that she could count on him.

So Oliver turns around and takes a few hesitant steps towards the bed where Felicity currently lies, buried under her pale yellow floral comforter.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better than yesterday. My shoulder is ridiculously sore and my head hurts like you wouldn't believe. But hey I'm still breathing so I can't complain." Oliver cringes at that because if he hadn't been so alert, his sense so sharply honed from years of military training, Felicity could very well be six feet under right now. "Sorry. That wasn't a very tasteful joke."

"No, it wasn't." Oliver walks closer to her, coming within a foot of her bedside before he speaks again. "How are you?"

This time it's clear that he doesn't mean physically.

"I'm fine."

No she's not. He can see it in her eyes that she's not. It's in the set of her shoulders and the quiver of her mouth as she says the words in a quick, short response.

"Felicity…"

"I'm fine, Oliver. I've been taking those amazing painkillers that put me on cloud nine and lying in bed all day. It's a teenage dream and I'm living it. Actually, I think it's time for my next dose. Be awesome and hand me the bottle?"

She's deflecting and Oliver isn't going to let her get away with it.

He takes the final few steps, four to be exact, and carefully seats himself on the edge of her bed; the very edge. Still, the proximity seems to surprise Felicity because she uses her good arm to scoot herself further back against the headboard. It doesn't make much of a difference physically but it feels like she just put miles of space between them.

"Felicity, you were just shot at, again, and we – the police still haven't caught whoever did it."

"What do you want me to say, Oliver? Do you want me to tell you that I'm scared? That I'm terrified? That the thought of someone out there, trying to hurt me, makes me want to run and hide?"

She doesn't yell, doesn't even raise her voice. The words are spoken with a calm clarity in an octave just above a whisper.

"If that's how you feel."

"Well, it's not. I can't live my life like that, checking every dark alley and looking around every corner to see if someone is there, trying to get me. That's no way to live. That's not even living. It's existing and I don't want to do that. I _won't_ do that."

"So you're not scared? Not even a little bit?"

"Of course I am. But I'm not going to let that consume me and dictate how I live my life. I have Digg and I have you and I know you won't let anything happen to me."

Her eyes mirror the sincerity in her words as they bore into his. It strikes him hard, that after all this fickle push and pull they have gone through since his return, Felicity still trusts him so innately. He doesn't know what good deed he did in his life to deserve this. Honestly, he's pretty sure that he doesn't.

Oliver unknowingly leans in towards her, like two opposite charges of a magnet, drawn together by an unseeable force. His hand reaches forward to grab onto hers, lying on top of the duvet.

"I'll protect you, Felicity. Always. I promise."

The look she gives him brings warmth to his chest. Her eyes shine, lips pressed together, curled slightly inwards, as she nods in understanding. Then a small, heartwarming smile spreads across her face. It's like he's shocked her with the depth of his declaration, like she can't really believe that someone would care so much about her safety.

Oliver's thumb rubs absentmindedly over the tops of her knuckles, brushing the ring on her index finger that he's vaguely aware of seeing there before. Their eyes never part.

He can feel himself being pulled in closer. Her bright blue eyes a swirling storm and a calming clarity all at once. It's dangerous and thrilling and it gets his heart racing. She is the eye of the storm, promising a safe haven amidst chaos.

"Ahem, am I interrupting something?"

Oliver springs from the bed so fast it's like ice water has been thrown on him. Felicity shifts around, lifting a nervous hand to smooth down the hair of her ponytail.

"Thea! Hi, you're back. Thank goodness."

They weren't doing anything wrong. Oliver was just comforting her. That's completely acceptable, to use physical contact as reassurance and comfort. Family members do it all the time.

So why does he feel like a kid who was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar?

"Uh huh, I said I would be."

Thea's gaze bounces between Oliver and Felicity, cool and calculating.

"I was walking by on the way to my room when I heard Felicity yell. I came to check on her."

"Well that was nice of you, considering you haven't come by since she got home over twenty-four hours ago."

Apparently, she's still mad at him for that.

"Thea, it's fine. Oliver is busy with his new job. The world doesn't stop just because I got hurt."

"Maybe that's true, but it doesn't mean he can't stop by to check on you at least once. He literally lives down the hall."

She's right, Oliver could have easily checked in on them. But he was scared, so he didn't. For a U.S. soldier, meant to be the bravest of men, he really can be quite a coward.

"It's okay, Thea, really. Now I desperately need to take a shower so can someone please help me out of these clothes? And by someone I mean Thea. Because, yeah, obvious reasons…"

That's his cue and Oliver takes it wholeheartedly, already shuffling towards the door as he makes his escape.

"Right. I have some business matters to look over from tonight's meeting anyway. I'll see you later."

He can feel two sets of eyes on his back as he reaches for the handle to open the door. They're both heated. One of them with anger and the other with something he can't identify but is still familiar to him. At the last second he turns around, eyes locking with Felicity's.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Felicity."

Their gazes hold for a long moment. He can see the widening of her eyes and the slight confusion in them from where he stands across her bedroom.

Then he turns to leave.

Thea's narrowing eyes and her scrutinizing stare are not lost on him as he goes.

….

"_Which way?"_

"_Down the hall, second right, first left, then fourth room down on the right."_

_They're halfway down the second hall when Oliver hears her scream as she falls to the ground with a thud, clutching her abdomen and stirring up dirt that dries out his throat and causes his eyes to water. He pauses to help her up but stops short, entire body freezing and joints locking._

_Because he isn't looking into the dark brown depths of the eyes of his fellow soldier and a girl he once loved._

_He's looking into bright blue eyes, swirling with confusion and pain and innocence._

_He's looking at Felicity._

"_Oliver? What's going on?"_

_Suddenly there's silence. Then the sound of a gun cocking and the firing of a single shot. He watches the bullet slam into her lower back knocking her face first into the ground._

"_Oliver!"_

_She screams out his name in agony as blood stains her already soiled clothes a dark red, almost black and seeps onto her hands where the clutch frantically at her flesh._

"_No. Felicity. You're not supposed to be here. This isn't… you're not supposed to be here."_

_He watches in bewilderment as her blood pools on the floor beside her and her body spasms in pain._

"_Oliver, it hurts! Make it stop! Please! Make it stop!"_

_He springs into action, dropping to her side and tearing off his uniform jacket, using it to apply pressure to the wound._

"_I don't understand. You're not supposed to be here."_

_Felicity sobs in pain, the blood flow seemingly getting worse._

"_You promised! You promised me you would protect me!"_

"_I didn't… No. This isn't supposed to be you!"_

_Her rocking and spasms have stopped as the loss of blood weakens her. Now she lays in the sand and dirt, body convulsing involuntarily and eyes staring up at him in pain and anger._

"_You lied. You're a liar. This is your fault."_

"_No. No, Felicity, please! Just stay with me, okay? I can fix this. I can save you!"_

_The life is quickly fading from her eyes and Oliver frantically searches for any sign of Slade for help._

"_You promised you would protect me, always. But you didn't."_

"_No! NO!"_

"_You didn't protect me, you can't."_

"_Felicity!"_

….

He wakes in a state of panic and disorientation. It's dark and his eyes have a hard time adjusting as they dart around the room. His hands reach out, feeling for something he can't quite remember.

Then his dream comes tumbling back to him.

Felicity.

Felicity was in his dream, in his nightmare. She was there and bleeding and dying. All because he couldn't protect her, he couldn't save her. He couldn't save her just like he couldn't save Sha – _her_.

It rattles Oliver to his core. Rationally, he knows it was only a nightmare, a subconscious fear given form. Felicity is fine. She wasn't in Afghanistan and she didn't die from the bullet that hit her shoulder. She's alive and breathing. If he walked down the hall right now, he would find her asleep in her bedroom, most likely with Thea by her side.

But it still causes his hands to shake and his heart to pound heavily in his chest.

Nightmares are something Oliver knows intimately. He's had them for years. Even before the war, he had nightmares about disappointment and loneliness. During it, they were filled with blood and violence.

But now, now they are a mix of everything he fears. They create feelings of loss and pain and terror and loneliness and disappointment and agony. It's a tumultuous combination that leaves him feeling frenzied and hollow.

The clock on his bedside table reads five in the morning, too early to be awake but late enough that he can occupy his time until going into his office at Queen Consolidated. Adrenaline flows through his veins as he makes his way out of bed and towards his dresser. It puts him on edge, causes him to fidget and brings his senses on high alert.

Oliver grabs a pair of cargo pants and a t-shirt and heads to the bathroom to change before making his way down the hall, his destination being the in-home gym.

He pauses in front of Felicity's door when he reaches it, fears not yet calmed. Images from his nightmare flash through his mind. Her bloodied hands and screams of agony. The life draining from her eyes as her voice weakened. His broken promise. His failure.

The next second he pushes the door open and steps into the room.

The soft light from the hall shines in, illuminating a path from the crack in the door to the bed. It reveals to Oliver exactly what he expected to see. Felicity is asleep in a position that he suspects is not overtly comfortable, but given her injury it's most likely better than any other alternative. Thea lies next to her, mouth open and small snores escaping from it. She's also hogging a majority of the covers.

The sight brings a small smile to his face and calms his racing heart, not completely erasing his fears but at least easing them slightly as he slowly backs out of the room and shuts the door quietly.

It's almost an hour before anyone finds Oliver. And when someone does, it's Digg.

They don't talk. Digg doesn't ask him what's wrong because he doesn't need to. They are both plagued by nightmares and demons that follow them around and haunt their every waking and sleeping hour. Some of them are the same, some of them different, all of them terrifying.

So instead of talking they work their frustration out physically, each of them grabbing a pair of boxing gloves and stepping onto the training mats. This is one thing Oliver can do that doesn't send his head spinning. He doesn't have to think, just move and breathe. It's exactly what Oliver needs and he loses himself in the familiar training rhythm they've developed over the years.

….

"So, Oliver, how are things at Queen Consolidated? Are you learning all the tricks of the trade?"

Silverware clinks against plates as the bevy of businessmen and women enjoy the gourmet meal that their generous host has provided for them. Frank Bertinelli is all jovial smiles and polite conversation where he sits at the head of the table.

It's only been Oliver's second full week at Queen Consolidated and getting acclimated to the company and the business world is proving to be a difficult feat. People throw around terms and jargon they expect him to understand, forgetting that he dropped out of all four colleges he attended. It's always busy, people speaking quickly and precisely and constantly moving. It's a warzone of its own kind.

Luckily, the intern who acts more as an assistant, Bart or Bobby or something, is more than eager to help Oliver play catch up. He should really learn the kid's name considering he's the only thing keeping Oliver from drowning in blueprints and short-term transition plans and numbers reports.

"It's been… interesting. I was never really involved in the company before I was deployed so I never knew just how much the employees there did. It has definitely given me a new perspective. I have a lot of great people helping me transition into it all."

Of course, that's not the only thing he's juggling at the moment.

There's also Felicity. Intelligent, beautiful, young Felicity whom he can't seem to stay away from. No matter how strained things are between them, he gravitates towards her. There's an overwhelming need to be near her, one he's never felt with another person before.

Oliver isn't an idiot. He knows what it means. It means he has feelings for her other than physical attraction. He has feelings for a girl twelve years his minor. And as if that weren't problem enough, his family has practically adopted her these past two years. But apparently Oliver's body and subconscious don't seem to care about that because he is quickly becoming enamored with all things Felicity Smoak.

The way she looks in the hot pink dress she is currently wearing, for example.

It's a relief to see her up and on her feet again. Where Oliver spent the past week in a hectic frenzy of business reports and engineering designs, Felicity had spent it in bed watching some show on Netflix that was apparently all the rage, something about a hooded vigilante who was stranded on an island and learned Russian even though he was in China. That's all Oliver really gathered from what she told him, too preoccupied with the way her lips caressed the words as they left her mouth in enthusiasm.

He had checked in on her briefly in person, during which time she protested her forced bedridden state, and kept a near constant communication with Digg about how she was doing. It had gotten to the point where his friend had told him to just go talk to her and see for himself on more than one occasion.

And now they're eating dinner with the man who may or may not be targeting her.

"I'm glad to hear it. I know things must be overwhelming for you with everything going on. That reminds me. Ms. Smoak, how are you doing darling?"

The grip Oliver has on the knife in his hand tightens when Bertinelli addresses Felicity. His eyes slide to the right, where she sits beside him. Oliver made sure to stay close to her all evening, going as far as to insist that she sit next to him at the dinner table. That had garnered a few looks from Felicity and Thea but no one else had seemed to notice his insistence.

"I'm doing much better, thank you for asking."

She has no idea, no idea that the man who just inquired about her wellbeing could possibly be the reason such a question is even necessary.

"I'm glad to hear it. I saw what happened on the news the other day. Oliver said you were recovering when we met earlier this week. It's good to see how well you are doing in person."

Oliver's eyes dart about the room, surveying his surroundings and studying Bertinelli's security measures, now on high alert. As if he wasn't already.

"That's really kind of you. I'm fine, still a little shaken and my shoulder is a bit sore, but the doctors said I should be back to normal within a few weeks tops. It was just a graze and a concussion. Nothing major."

"That's relieving to hear. The violence in this city sometimes is just appalling. Do the police have any leads?"

Oliver wills Felicity with all his might to say no. Just say no. Bertinelli is fishing for details and the less he knows, the better.

"No. They weren't able to identify either shooter. They don't even know if it was the same guy or not."

"Oh, well, I am sorry to hear that." He doesn't look the least bit sorry to Oliver. "Hopefully the good task force of this city will find a lead soon."

Moira speaks up then, pleasant smile on her face. But Oliver can see the flash in her eyes that she used to get whenever he or Thea was in trouble. It's fierce, protective.

"Yes, well, in the mean time let's not dwell on it. Leave that to the police, shall we?"

"I agree with my wife. Frank, how's business doing? "

And just like that the topic is changed.

It's a bit incredible to watch. For a second, his parents were the old tag team he remembers from when he was younger. They used to work a room seamlessly together, knowing exactly how to play off each other and the surrounding company. It's what made them so successful in the business world. To see that again, this time in defense of Felicity, is a testament to just how much they have both come to care about her, to see her as their own.

The rest of dinner continues on without a hitch and they're all ushered into a sitting room for after-dinner drinks. Oliver is speaking with Bertinelli's daughter and her husband when Bertinelli leaves the room. Oliver watches the man excuse himself from the conversation he was having with Moira and Robert, most likely about the Defense Tech project. A few minutes later he catches sight of Felicity as she and Thea leave the room together as well.

Now more than ever Oliver wishes Digg had accompanied them tonight. When he had insisted upon it earlier, Moira had refused. She had spoken with Bertinelli about the security measures without Oliver's knowledge and the man was all too happy to provide his own service for the evening. Since Oliver couldn't very well come out and admit to "borrowing" law enforcement-only information on Bertinelli, he couldn't give his mother a good enough reason as to why it was necessary.

Oliver gives it two minutes before excusing himself and making his way out of the room.

His pace picks up double time the second he's out of sight of the other guests in the sitting room. The only place he can think of that the two girls would be going to is the restroom. Unless Thea talked Felicity into exploring the place, in which case finding them is going to be near impossible.

When he gets to the restroom neither one of them is in there.

Oliver hurries down the halls as panic begins to set in. He tries not to make a sound, not wanting to call the attention of Bertinelli's security detail. But as he peeks through open doors and hastens down hallways, careful to remember the path he takes, Oliver starts to become desperate. There's not sign of either girl and the house is so large that he's only just finished with the left wing of the bottom level of the house. They could be anywhere.

The corridors and dark corners start to shift and blur as he moves through them. They flash from clean, antique filled places of living for the idle rich to hot, unrefined dirt walls meant to imprison people. Oliver shakes his head in an attempt to expel the visions but they stay with him. One minute he's pacing the halls of Bertinelli's mansion, the next he's running trough the sand and dirt filled corridors of an Afghani holding facility.

Images from his nightmare earlier this week flood his memory and his vision.

Felicity lying on the hard dirt ground in confusion.

The bullet launching into her lower back, tearing through her abdomen.

Blood pooling around her and staining her hands as she sobs and screams at him.

The life draining from her accusing and betrayed eyes.

_This is your fault_

No.

_You didn't protect me, you can't._

NO. This isn't happening. This isn't real.

Oliver's breaths come in short, quick pants as the nightmare begins to assault his senses. He pauses in his search to take in air. This can't happen. Not now. Felicity is in danger and she needs him. She's not hurt yet. He has to push through this.

10… 9… 8…

Counting down, although it seems childish, is something Oliver learned to help him refocus after his first traumatizing mission.

7… 6… 5…

Five more seconds. That's the time he gives himself to expel this panic.

4… 3… 2…

Deep breath in, let it out slowly. Focus on the goal.

1.

Find Felicity.

It takes him an additional five minutes, hands still trembling slightly but breathing now under control, until he finally spots them.

Felicity and Thea stand outside of a door pushed slightly ajar, looking very much like they are spying on someone. Relief floods through him and begins to truly settle his mind when he sees that they are unharmed.

Felicity spots Oliver first and quickly rights herself while pulling Thea with her. They try to look innocent as he makes his way over to them, but it's a bit late for that. Only as he gets closer he sees something else in their expressions, Felicity's especially. They almost look… shocked, scared.

"What are you two doing?"

"We were just looking for the little girls room. This place is so big we got lost on the way."

Thea composes herself first, easily putting on an air of relaxed self-assurance. But Felicity still looks shaken and confused.

"Really? Because you would have passed it on the way here."

"Like I said, it's a big house. We got lost."

Thea's stare is challenging, full of steely will. The only chink in her armor is the hand reaching behind her that holds onto Felicity's.

"Why don't I help you guys find your way back?"

"An escort by _the _Oliver Queen, what an honor. Lead the way, brother dearest."

He chooses to let this slide, for now. Whatever happened it's obviously causing Felicity distress. The last thing he wants to do is force her into something she's not ready for.

That applies to a lot more than just this situation.

The important thing is that Felicity's okay, for the most part. She's not being held hostage or tortured or worse. She's alive and breathing and standing in front of him no worse for the wear. She's okay.

Oliver lets the truth settle in his bones and calm him down as they walk back to the sitting room.

The remainder of the evening is smooth sailing, well as much as it can be. Bertinelli returns not long after them. He quickly engages Oliver, Robert, and Moira in a conversation about partnering with Queen Consolidated. The man knows how to talk shop, Oliver will give him that, and seems to win his parents over, even though they don't give him a definite answer. Ultimately the decision is Oliver's and he's still not sure which is the best move in this game they're playing. So he puts it off, once again, this time asking Bertinelli to send a draft of his business proposal to the Applied Sciences Division.

While all of this is important, he continues to keep an eye on Felicity. Her and Thea sit to the side, huddled together and whispering to each other on occasion. It's the way they're sitting though that really grabs his attention. They're sharing one of the small couches and even though there's room enough for both of them, Thea is perched on the edge while Felicity sinks into the back cushions. It's a protective stance, like Thea can somehow shield whatever happened from getting to Felicity anymore than it already has.

First Moira, then Robert, and now Thea. Felicity may not have much of a relationship with her biological relatives but she has a family that is willing to do just about anything for her in the Queens.

And Oliver. He's doesn't know where he falls in the equation, as family or something else entirely, but she has him. She has him, totally and completely wrapped around her fingers and honestly, he's not sure he wants to be unwound.

If that makes him wrong, then he's learning that you can't always be right.

….

**Author's Note: As always, thank you so much for reading. Please, please, please leave a review letting me know what you think. They are my only way of knowing what is and isn't working and my only way of knowing what you guys think :)**

**Again, thanks for reading!**

**- Bri**


	9. Keep Your Hands to Yourself

**Author's Note: Hi awesome readers! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed this story. I'm really sorry that I haven't been replying to reviews. The system here on is a bit tedious and very time consuming. Please know that all your input has been read and is greatly appreciated! Receiving reviews always makes me smile :)**

**Enjoy!**

**(Oh and if you aren't already tired of my writing, check out my new multi-chapter fic "You Put the Arrow In (Became an Angel Too)". It's an AU in which Felicity becomes Oliver's superhero protégé/apprentice and it's a fairly lighthearted story. This is totally shameless self-promoting, I am quite aware.)**

….

Chapter 9: Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Before They Notice My Racing Heart

They go another two days without really speaking to each other aside from the occasional exchange of pleasantries. And it drives Oliver crazy. He had thought that after their moment in her room and the few occasions he checked in on her last week that maybe things wouldn't be as strained as he expected. He wasn't wrong but he wasn't right either. They interact, they talk, but the openness they shared since his return has taken a major hit. It's unsettling even though he knows he brought this on himself. He was fully aware of the possible outcomes of pulling the sister card on Felicity and he did it anyway. His regret is beat out only slightly by his need to protect her from the dark and damaged parts of himself as well as the scrutiny and judgment that would come with any romantic entanglement between them.

Still, come lunchtime he finds himself rounding the corner to where she works at Queen Consolidated with the other interns. As he suspected, she's working alone, caught up in the task at hand on her tablet. Digg stands just outside of the work area and after a silent exchange of head nods between him and Oliver, leaves the cubicle.

Oliver stands there, waiting for Felicity to notice him, and takes the time to really look at her.

It's Felicity's first day back on the job since getting shot at a week ago. The wound and bandage on her shoulder are hidden underneath the sleeve of her beige and white polka dot blouse. She's completely engrossed in whatever she's doing on her tablet. He can see the deep concentration on her face, her teeth chewing on the nail of her thumb as she reads. Which, of course, draws his attention to her mouth, painted a bright pink to match her dress pants. It makes them look that much fuller and kissable.

Oliver quickly clears his throat to gain her attention and disrupt that line of thought.

"Hey."

Felicity all but jumps in her seat, barely avoiding dropping her tablet to the floor.

"Oliver! Geez, don't you knock?"

"Felicity, this is the IT department. Not the ladies' room."

The glare she gives him before quickly locking her tablet and setting it aside makes him smile. Her hands flutter about, shuffling papers and various items in a manner that looks like she's trying to discreetly organize her work area and failing. The way she quickly folds down the flaps of the Chinese takeout box next to her and moves it behind a computer monitor only causes his grin to widen.

"Yes, well most people with manners still knock instead of sneaking up on people and giving them mini heart attacks. You keep that up and I won't even live to be as old as you. Not that you're old. I mean that was kind of the point of the statement. Because you're not old and if you give me a heart attack then I wouldn't even live to be not old, too. Does that make sense?"

That one actually causes him to release an audible laugh. God, he's missed her babbling. He's missed how happy he is around her.

"I'm going to assume that you didn't come here just to laugh at me, because that would be rude, so what can I do for you, Mr. Queen?"

The formality in her tone throws him off. It's not something he's used to with her.

"I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing on your first day back."

"Well, no one tried to kill me walking in so I'd take that as a positive. No one slipped poison into my coffee when I wasn't looking, also a plus. Although there was a really sketchy looking plant in the lobby on my way up. Might wanna send security to check on that."

Oliver lets out a frustrated sigh before making his way over and seating himself in the empty chair beside hers.

"Felicity, you know I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Isn't that what Digg is for? By the way, sending the personal bodyguard away while on duty kind of defeats the purpose of having one."

She's just not going to make this easy for him, is she?

"I gave him a break. You're just as safe with me as you are with him. He did help train me, after all."

"I wasn't doubting your capability."

No, she was just trying to avoid being alone with him.

There's an awkward, tension filled silence between them. A moment so different from the comfortable silences they used to share. Being together used to be natural, easy but now he's forced this wall between them and he hates it.

"How has your day been?"

Please, please say something, anything. He needs her to talk to him.

"It's fine. Busy. My shoulder is hurting a little bit but it's manageable."

Oliver really doesn't think his next course of action through very well.

Rolling his chair over, he stands up behind Felicity. She's turned her attention back to her tablet momentarily so when his hands gently land on her injured shoulder, she lets out a small squeak of surprise, caught off-guard by his unexpected movement.

"Sorry, I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, just… surprised. What, what are you doing?"

His hands ghost across the skin of her shoulder, the top of which is covered by the sheer fabric of her blouse.

"I've had my fair share of bullet wounds. This is something I learned to help with the stiffness that comes along with it. Let me know if I'm hurting you."

He starts off light, barely putting any pressure on her shoulder, testing the waters to see how sensitive the wound and surrounding area still are. His fingers dance across her skin in gentle swirls, careful to avoid direct contact with her injury. When she doesn't protest, he adds more pressure to his movements, beginning to massage the stiff muscles in her shoulder. He pays close attention to her body language, lightening his touch and avoiding certain areas when she tenses and pressing with more force when she relaxes. It's completely clinical.

Until it isn't.

At some point, one of Oliver's hands slips beneath the loose-fitting material of Felicity's sleeve. His fingers circle around her soft skin as he gently kneads her tender shoulder. He must hit a particularly good spot because her heads lulls to the side and a breathy sound escapes her parted lips. It causes his mind to go straight to less than clinical thoughts of her making that sound, only louder and in very different circumstances, circumstances that involve his bed and much less clothing.

"Is this okay?"

"Yeah, feels good."

It's like a fog has invaded his mind, filling every corner and wrapping around his better judgment, hiding it from view. He should stop, especially because he has no right to objectify Felicity like this when she's so unsuspecting and trusting of him to take care of her. But he doesn't because he selfishly wants to hear that sound again, knowing he's the cause of it.

"Mmmm… Right there."

Jesus Christ.

Oliver has had his fair share of women in his days, probably more than his fair share to be quite honest. He's done some pretty kinky things and heard some pretty obscene noises. But none of that ever had his heart racing and blood pumping as fast or as hard, pun unfortunately on point in this situation, as Felicity does and she hasn't even touched him. Hell, she's not even trying to be sexy in the least. But she is and when did his hands start traveling away from her shoulder?

"Hey big brother there you… are…"

Oliver all but throws himself into the chair he previously occupied and quickly crosses his legs as Felicity swivels around in her seat to face their intruder.

"Hey Thea! What are you doing here? You didn't tell me you were stopping by today. You _didn't_ tell me, right? I swear I would have remembered that. No, right here my calendar says lunch on Wednesday and today is definitely Monday. Guess I'll live another day without receiving the 'Worst Best Friend/Lunch Date' award. So, what brings you by?"

A glance over at Felicity reveals heated cheeks and wide eyes. She's flustered just as much as he is. It's a little bit satisfying to see, not that Oliver will ever admit to that outside of his own thoughts.

"I came by to see if Ollie wanted to grab lunch but he wasn't in his office. The intern, I think his name was Barry, told me you would be here. I can come back if now's not a good time."

The last part is directed right at Oliver, complete with raised eyebrow and trademark Thea Queen smirk.

Oh, he's in trouble now.

"No, now is," he pauses to clear his throat because when did it get so low, "now is perfect. I was just taking a look at Felicity's shoulder."

"Really? I didn't know you got a medical degree while you were overseas. Should I be calling you doctor?"

"I _did_ have medical training, you know. And I have first hand experience with gunshot wounds. Didn't you say you wanted to get lunch?"

Felicity has busied herself with tidying the already organized surface of her work area, avoiding looking at either Oliver or her best friend.

"I did. Felicity, you coming with?"

The girl in question turns from her task at hand to face the youngest Queen.

"I would, Thee, but I'm trying to catch up on all the work I missed while I was out last week. We're still on for Wednesday though. You guys enjoy your sibling bonding."

She throws a smile at Thea before swiveling around in her chair, effectively ending the conversation without looking at Oliver once.

"Okay, then. Let's go Big Brother. I'm starving and in the mood for that new Thai place down the street. I heard they serve food in pineapples instead of plates!"

And just like that, Hurricane Thea whisks Oliver away before he can even so much as say goodbye to Felicity.

….

The conversation between the two Queen siblings doesn't take a turn for the danger zone until they're both enjoying the beginning stages of their meal, Thea happily eating from a carved out pineapple and Oliver aimlessly twirling spicy noodles around his fork, mind still caught up in his previous exchange with Felicity.

"So, how's working with the big wigs? Is it everything you've ever _dreamed_ of?"

She sarcastically hums out the word dreamed, knowing full well that Oliver would rather be doing anything but dressing in suits and making small talk all day under the expectant gazes of their parents.

"Oh yeah, it's everything from my wildest fantasies."

"You can stop right there. I don't need nor do I want to know about your kinky office fantasies with Felicity."

What an unfortunate time to choose to take a sip of his drink.

Thea's comment has Oliver inhaling sharply, causing some of the carbonated beverage to go down the wrong pipe. He quickly dissolves into a coughing fit and grabs the silk napkin from his lap to cover his mouth. Thea sits across from him, eating her food with a knowing smirk plastered across her face.

Once he's finally calmed down, Oliver takes a considerable swig of his drink to clear his throat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, Ollie. I'm seventeen. I know what a fantasy is."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Oh you mean the part about Felicity? I'm not blind. I see what's going on."

"You do?"

The fact that she's so calm is baffling to Oliver. Considering how Thea reacted when she caught Felicity leaving his bedroom the other week, he didn't think she would be so… casual about this.

"Yeah. I mean, I know I freaked on you the other week about it but I've seen the way you look at her and how you act with her. It's not the way you used to when all you wanted was to get into some girl's pants. You genuinely care for her and I know she cares for you, too. Don't ask me why, she just does. You guys aren't exactly subtle about it with all the lingering touches and wistful gazes and such. It's a miracle I'm the only one who's caught on."

"What exactly do you think you've caught onto, Speedy?"

"You and Felicity are dating, obviously."

The fork he had picked up in a grasp for control clatters against his plate as he drops it.

"We aren't dating."

"Okay, I know I wigged out on you the other night about her leaving your room, but that was more because I was still angry about the Shane thing. Also, I really couldn't resist messing with you about the age difference. Who would give up a golden opportunity like that? But seriously, you can be honest with me."

"I am. Felicity and I are _not_ dating."

For once in the conversation Thea looks confused, no longer having the upper hand.

"But I thought… then what was with all the touching and then the avoiding followed by the," she lowers her voice several octaves and makes it scratchy in imitation of him he assumes, "_I'm so glad your okay, Felicity. I love you, Felicity. Let's get married, Felicity._"

_I love you._

No. No, he does not need to dwell on those words right now. He just accepted the fact that his feelings for Felicity are beyond platonic and not just physical. It is way too soon to be thinking about _that_. In fact, he's not even sure there should be an acceptable time to think about that ever.

"Okay, first of all, I only said one of those things. Second of all, she's just a friend, like a sister even."

Thea is overcome by a laughing fit so hard that it brings tears to her eyes. She clutches at her stomach in an effort to regain control and takes a few deep breathes before speaking.

"If that's your definition of a sister then we need to find you a dictionary and maybe watch a couple episodes of the _Brady Bunch_ or any other show featuring sibling relationships. Except no _Life With Derek_ because that was a stone's throw away from step-cest."

_Step_ – he figures it's better not to ask.

"Thea, it's not like that. It _can't_ be like that."

"But you want it to be."

It's a statement, not a question.

"Even if I did, we couldn't be."

"And why the hell not? You like her. She likes you. I'm not seeing the problem here."

Oliver sighs in frustration, reaching a hand up to drag it through his hair.

"_The problem _is she's seventeen. You said so yourself, she's almost half my age. If we were together the press would chew her up and spit her out. She's already under enough scrutiny as it is with Karen's trial coming up. I won't add to the list of hardships she's already going through."

"Spare the drama, Ollie. Sure, some people will be uncomfortable with the idea but who cares? It's your life and Felicity's, not theirs. You shouldn't let what others consider to be 'right' and 'acceptable' hold you back from being happy. They'll get over it eventually. Plus, you would be surprised how open-minded some people can be nowadays."

"Thea, it's not that simple. Especially with our family and you know it. Think about the bad press it would give Karen's trial and Queen Consolidated and the Defense Tech project."

"It's as simple, or as difficult, as you make it. Is it going to be easy? No, probably not. I'm not telling you to declare your undying love on a billboard for all of Starling to see. I'm just telling you that you deserve to be happy and those who love and care about you will want the same thing. It might take some adjustment, but that's their problem not yours."

Thea leans back in her seat, picking up her glass to take a sip while Oliver takes in everything she's just said.

She has a point. The people who care about and matter to Oliver and Felicity _should_ support what makes them happy. The problem is that's not necessarily the case one hundred percent of the time. The idea of a thirty-year-old with a seventeen or eighteen year old can be very unsettling. It's obvious that Thea doesn't have a problem with it, because she's young. But there are a lot more people to think about in the situation, his parents, for example. Even if he can ignore the paparazzi and the press, he can't very well ignore the people whose roof he lives under, even if he had been thinking about getting his own apartment.

But Thea was right about another thing. He doesn't have to publicize his relationship with Felicity to the world. They could keep it quiet, strictly platonic in the public eye. Only that feels unfair to Felicity. She deserves someone who can be with her openly and freely and not just physically or behind closed doors.

"Oliver, I care about you and I care about Felicity. If there are other reasons, legitimate reasons that have to do with just the two of you, then I'm not telling you to rush into a relationship that is definitely going to be a bit complicated. But if her age and the public scrutiny are the only things holding you back, then screw it all. I know I've been angry with you and that we haven't been on the best of terms since you came home, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you and your happiness. You both deserve to be happy. Everyone does."

And just like that, the strain that has been present on his relationship with Thea lifts. He can hear the silent apology in her words and can see the sincerity in her eyes.

"I know you do, Speedy. I also know that it wasn't easy for you here, either. I never wanted to leave you behind. It was never about you. If it were, I would have stayed, no question. Joining the Army, it was just something I had to do for me."

"I get that now. And I think it's time that you make another decision for you. Just, be happy, Oliver. At the end of the day that's all that matters."

It's funny how six years ago he sat in a tree house across from a different girl with glasses that slipped off her nose and eyes slightly too wide for her face, who told him something similar. Felicity and Thea may be very different to outsiders looking in, but to Oliver, they're the same at their cores. They both have the purest of hearts and only want what's best for those around them. That's what binds their friendship.

"Just think about it. Okay, Ollie?"

"Okay."

That signals the end of their conversation, for now. Oliver and Thea spend the next few minutes finishing their meals and discussing much lighter topics, like her summer internship at some high-end boutique or Tommy and Laurel's wedding plans, which are very limited at the moment seeing as both of them are swamped with work. It's probably going to be a long engagement.

The siblings make their way out of the restaurant after Oliver pays the bill and wait for the town car to come pick up Thea. When the car arrives, she envelopes Oliver in a tight hug that he returns with equal fervor.

"I love you, Ollie, and I'm really, _really_ glad that your home."

"I love you too, Speedy."

She presses a gentle kiss to his cheek before sliding into the back seat of the town car. Once the door is closed, the window rolls downward.

"For the record, Felicity turns eighteen on Friday. If you wanted to drop by Verdant – I was just being polite you don't really have a choice – you'll find her there celebrating because I'm throwing her a party. Lots of inebriated people who won't remember things and dark corners to hide in. I'm just saying. See you at home!"

Oliver shakes his head at his younger sister and her persistence as the car pulls out into traffic. She's not going to let this go.

….

"Security at Queen Consolidated could use some work."

The two trained men don't loose pace as they talk, shuffling around the mats as the wooden sticks they wield as weapons collide in a considerably steady rhythm.

"I know. I noticed it on the first day I walked in. Also, I'm thinking about getting my own place. You have any suggestions on both fronts?"

Oliver makes a swipe at Digg's shoulder, narrowly missing before ducking out of the way of his friend's counterattack.

"A few. We can discuss this in detail later. Now come on, you going soft or something now that you're home? Don't lose steam on me now, Queen."

The men exchange teasing remarks and get a few soft blows in until they're interrupted by a figure in the doorway.

Felicity stands there, hair pulled back tightly in it's usual ponytail. But that's the only thing that's usual in her appearance. Her glasses are nowhere to be seen, traded in for contacts and giving Oliver an unhindered view of her bright blue eyes. A somewhat loose fitting tank top with large arm cutouts reveals the floral pattern of her sports bra. Black, cropped workout pants hug her legs, outlining their shape and definition. It's a completely different look from the usual skirts and dresses but she still looks just as beautiful and as usual the sight of her causes Oliver's breath to catch in his throat.

"Uhm, sorry to interrupt your whole – uh – grrrr."

Felicity makes a half hiss, half growling noise and mimes claws with her hands in an adorable gesture.

"Not a problem. What can we do for ya?"

Her teeth worry at her bottom lip as she contemplates how to answer Diggle's question. Then she takes a deep breath in and lets it out, looking straight at Oliver.

"I want you to fight me. I mean not _fight me_, fight me. But attack me and then tell me how to react. As in, instruct me on what to do. I want you to teach me how to fight."

That was not at all what Oliver was expecting her to say.

"You… want me to train you?"

"Yes, well, one of you. Or both of you. If that's not going to cause too much trouble."

But why would she need to learn how to fight? Felicity should never be in any situation where she would need to know that, especially with Diggle and him around to protect her.

"I think it's a good idea."

"What?"

"Really?"

Oliver turns to look at Diggle questioningly as his and Felicity's exclamations ring and mingle in the air.

"Yeah. Think about it. We know someone is after Felicity, who has come after her twice now. Both times were unfortunately close calls but from a far away range. Whoever this guy is, he's going to change tactics soon."

"And you or I will be close to her to make sure nothing happens."

Felicity doesn't need to learn how to fight. She doesn't need to be exposed to the violence he's learned. The violence he's used to hurt people, _kill_ people when necessary.

"Oliver, you and I both know that's not always the case. Tactically speaking this is a good idea. We should have thought about this already."

"Wait, seriously? I mean yeah, see. Diggle thinks it's a good idea, too."

Oliver takes a step closer to Felicity. Close enough so that he's just invaded her personal space but not enough that she should feel scared or threatened. It's meant to intimidate her, to deter her from this argument that he really doesn't want to have.

"This isn't up for discussion, Felicity."

To his surprise, she takes a step towards him, getting a little too close for comfort but he refuses to back down.

"Like hell it isn't. Digg thinks it's a good idea and so do I, obviously or I wouldn't have brought it up. What's the problem here? I'm not some weak little girl who sits around and waits for bad things to happen to her."

"I know that. I know you're not weak, Felicity. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"Then what's the problem?"

What's the problem? The problem is that Felicity should never be in this position to begin with. The problem is that she shouldn't need to learn how to defend herself. The implications of what that kind of situation could be don't sit well with him, at all.

But he can't explain that out loud. He can barely explain it in his head as is.

So instead, Oliver hangs his head low and sighs in defeat before looking back up to meet her gaze.

"You said this morning that your shoulder was still bothering you. It's only been a week since..."

It's his last ditch effort and he knows it won't be enough to deter her.

"I took my pain meds, iced it, heated it, and now it feels fine. If it bothers me or starts hurting I'll let you know."

The look in her eyes dares him to defy her, to make up some excuse. It's fire and determination and damn it if it doesn't turn him on a little. Or a lot. But then again it seems everything she does has that affect on him these days. And he really needs to stop this thought process because he just agreed, more or less, to help train her. Which means he will be in extremely close proximity with her body for the next however long it takes.

"If that's what you want."

"That's what I want."

She snaps around, ponytail nearly flicking him in the face due to their proximity and he gets a whiff of her perfume. It's light, slightly floral but not too sweet. It's also not overpowering, just the smallest hint of a scent that sends his imagination buzzing.

"So, Digg, where should we start?"

Fifteen minutes later Oliver has decided that this is what hell feels like.

Felicity is currently pressed backwards against his chest while his arms wrap around her, grabbing onto her wrists. Digg decided the best way to train Felicity would be to teach her how to escape different attacker holds. It's a defensive technique, which Oliver is forever grateful for because Felicity is too small to be fighting against anyone. Both he and Digg made it very clear that she is to escape and run. Engaging in a fight will do nothing for her.

But he also can't stand it at the same time because it means that he has to grab onto Felicity and bring her close to him in as many ways possible while Digg explains to her how to escape. There has already been one too many close calls with her brushing up against things she should not be brushing up against if he's supposed to keep any semblance of control. On top of that, he's also actively avoiding putting pressure on her shoulder.

"Okay, Felicity, now you're going to push back into Oliver. When someone grabs you like that, your first instinct is going to be to try to pull away. But by backing into him you use his own momentum against him."

He braces for it, knowing that her small, warm body is about to push back against his much larger one.

"Like this?"

Yes, like that.

No, not like that.

Mother of God please make it stop.

"Yeah good, now if you had momentum and were taking an attacker off guard he would falter back a step." Oh right, he's supposed to step back. "Then what you want to do is guide both arms out to your side, push up, and then back down in the center."

The first time she does it is slow and experimental so it's easy for Oliver to maintain his grip. Once Digg tells her that she's doing it right, she tries again with a little more force. Again, it's not enough and Oliver stays strong in his hold. A few more times and she's able to loosen his grip enough to free one hand. Throughout it all, Oliver constantly checks her face and the way she holds herself for any signs of pain or discomfort. So far he's seen none.

"Okay, let's try it with Oliver grabbing you so you can combine both the push backwards and the wrist roll. It might be the extra bit you need to escape both holds."

"Sounds good."

Oliver takes the opportunity to ask her about her injury incase he missed a flinch or a sign of pain.

"How's your shoulder doing?"

"It's fine, a little sore but nothing worse than earlier."

"You sure? We can take a break or call it a day, pick training up when it's less sensitive."

Diggle chimes into the conversation and Oliver's thankful that he's not the only one being mindful of her wellbeing. He wouldn't expect anything less from his former brother in arms.

"Thanks but it's all good, coach. Now let's get this show on the road."

Diggle and Oliver both smirk at that because it's just so Felicity. She bounces to the side of the mat, ponytail swinging back and forth with her gait. The word mesmerizing definitely does _not_ come to mind.

Oliver calls out to her to distract himself.

"You ready, Felicity?"

"Yeah, hit me with your best shot."

She keeps her back to him but he can see the determination in her stance. Her feet are planted, shoulders tense as she waits for his attack. Only he doesn't come at her right away. If she's going to train for a real life situation, she needs to be prepared to be taken by surprise.

Oliver glances over at Diggle, nodding to silently communicate that he understands what to do and that this is his plan. His friends nods in understanding and takes a step away.

"Oliver, I said I was – "

Felicity is about to turn around so he takes that as his opportunity to grab her. A surprised squeal leaves her lips as she's caught off guard. It takes her a little longer than it should to react but when she does, she follows her training, falling back into him and using the momentum against him. Only she falls back into all the wrong, or right, places and it causes his steady footing to slip, sending them both tumbling to the mat.

The minute Oliver's back hits the cool, synthetic material of the mat, instinct and years of training kick in. He slides out from under Felicity, rolling them over so that he's no longer beneath her. Reaching down quickly, his hands snatch at he wrists and pin them on either side of her head, legs dropping to the outside of her hips to straddle her waist and pin her down.

For a moment when Oliver's eyes meet hers, he flashes back to that night in his bed almost three weeks ago when he had attacked her. He had trapped her in a similar position then. But it's her eyes that really get him because just like that night there's no sign of fear in them now. She trusts him not to hurt her, even when he looses control and gives way to his military instincts she still trusts him.

An entirely different instinct starts to take over then. Because also like that night, when her blonde hair had fanned out behind her head on his sheets, cheeks flushed an oh-so-appealing pink, now Felicity's hair is spread across the training mat. Her breath comes in soft pants, synchronized with the rapid rise and fall of her chest brushing against Oliver's as his own breathing starts to pick up.

He doesn't realize he's begun putting some of his weight on her until she lets out a whimper of pain.

"Uhm… Ouch. Oliver, you're hurting my shoulder."

He's off her in seconds, gently helping her shift into an upright position with one hand placed on her lower back and the other on her good shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Felicity. Are you okay? How badly does it hurt? Do you need ice? Ibuprofen? A heating pad?"

She stares at Oliver like he's grown a second head. It's possible he's overreacting but he'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to her health, always.

"I'm… fine. Thanks. But I do think that's it for me for the evening."

Good. If Felicity thought he was going to continue tonight's impromptu training session after injuring her shoulder then she had another thing coming.

"You did good, girl. Maybe once your shoulder's out of remission we can train you with a couple of offensive moves. Maybe teach you how to shoot a gun."

Oliver's head snaps up to look at his friend.

"Digg, don't you think that's taking it a little far?"

"Hey man, it was just a suggestion. It might not be such a bad idea. But of course only if that's something you're comfortable with, Felicity."

Her lips tuck together for a second in contemplation before rolling back out as she drags in a breath.

"I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. But thank you, I appreciate the offer."

"Of course. Whatever you're comfortable with, Felicity. We'll go at your speed. Now, I'm gonna head off to the guest wing for the night. I'll leave you two to chat for a second."

Diggle gives Felicity a smile before making his exit, patting Oliver on the back as he passes.

There's an awkward pause where neither Felicity nor Oliver really knows what to say. Which is rare because Felicity almost always has something to say.

"Hey, Felicity – "

"Oliver would you – "

They both start and stop talking at the same time, causing them each to let out an awkward, uncomfortable laugh.

"Ladies first."

"Uhm, I was just wondering, would you mind walking with me? To my room?" When he doesn't respond at first Felicity quickly continues on. "Or not. I'm sure you have something else more important to do. I just thought since we live on the same hall… Forget I asked. I'll just go."

She's already turning to leave and out of his reach before the last words finish leaving her mouth.

"Felicity, hey, I'll walk with you. I'm heading back upstairs anyway."

"Oh, okay."

The smile on her face makes something jump in his chest and Oliver thinks he'll never get over the thrill of being the cause of her happiness, however fleeting it may be.

They walk in silence for a bit, Felicity occasionally rolling her shoulder. Neither one of them breaks the bubble until they're walking down the hall towards her room.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted to you asking to be trained. I just… the training, it makes this a lot more real. I know it's ultimately your call. You just caught me off guard."

He doesn't look over to see her reaction, instead staring straight ahead. But he can almost feel the jolt of surprise go through her at his admission.

"Thank you, for admitting that. I don't have a lot of control over the situation and this, learning how to defend myself; it gives me at least a little bit of that back. If there are people out there targeting me, for a still unknown reason, it makes me feel marginally better knowing that I'm not completely defenseless."

That is something Oliver can understand. He's been left defenseless before. It's not a feeling he cares to revisit often.

"Just don't go starting and street brawls, okay Tiger?"

Felicity laughs softly as she turns to face him, having arrived at her door. She bounces lightly back and forth on her feet and brings her fists up in a _very intimidating _fighting stance.

"What's the matter? Scared I'm gonna go on a one woman crusade to save the city? Single handedly stop war and spread world peace? What would they call me? What would I wear? Probably something black and leather because that's – oh whoa!"

Oliver reaches out to catch Felicity as she trips backwards, trying to stop her from slamming her bad shoulder against the door. One of his hands braces against the door by the side of her head, the other wraps around her waist to hold onto her. It softens to blow but doesn't completely prevent them from falling into the door with a soft thud.

"Ouch."

The word is only a light groan when it leaves her mouth but Oliver's hand travels from Felicity's waist to gently splay across the back of her shoulder blade anyway, fingers gently pressing circles into the tender area.

"You okay?"

When did his voice lower several octaves without his knowledge?

"Uh huh..."

When did hers get so breathy?

His fingers continue their ministrations against her skin as the pair stands in silence, eyes never leaving the other's. He watches as hers darken and flutter shut for a moment before opening again as she swallows deeply, an action he unconsciously mirrors. When her tongue peeks out to lick at her bottom lip he almost loses it, almost says 'to hell with it' and closes the few inches remaining between them.

But then Felicity's tiny clenched fist taps his jaw lightly and it's what he needs to pull back.

"Got you. Shouldn't have let your guard down. Isn't that the first thing they teach you? Always be aware of your surroundings?"

He let's out a weak laugh at her attempt to break the very obvious tension between them and slowly begins to pull away, arm dropping from her back as he pushes himself off the door with the other.

"Yeah, you got me."

They stand across from each other in silence for a few seconds.

"I should probably go. I'm really dirty and need a shower. Not, like, _dirty_ but just, you know... From all the working out we did together. As in Digg training us in completely appropriate methods of self-defense. Okay, yeah, I'm gonna go before I embarrass myself even more. Goodnight, Oliver."

"Goodnight – " the door all but slams in his face as she makes her hasty exit " – Felicity."

Yeah, she's got him.

She's got him for as long as she wants him.

….

**Author's Note: Can you feel the building tension yet? *evil smirk***

**On a more serious note, I thought it was really important to Oliver that someone on the outside expressed their opinion/approval on his feelings for Felicity before he goes for it. Or at least considers going for it. The scene with Thea seemed like a natural choice to me. I hope everyone agrees.**

**Please let me know what you think, review keep the muse going. Thank you for reading!**

**- Bri **


	10. Eighteen Going on Thirty

**Author's Note: So I had a few reviews, not a lot but one or two, on Oliver's attitude towards training Felicity last chapter. I guess this was a little unclear in his thoughts so I wanted to make it clear for all of you. Oliver's reluctance to train Felicity was **_**not**_** about the fact that she's a small woman. He was in an Army Unit with women who were relatively small in stature (Lyla and Shado). The idea of Felicity being in a situation in which her only option is to fight back or die terrifies him. Training her makes it that much more real for him. He also suffers from PTSD that, if you haven't guessed already, is triggered by people he cares about being in dangerous situations because he watched someone that he deeply cared about die and couldn't do anything about it. Being unable to protect his loved ones, even the thought of it, is not an option for him.**

**Hope that clears up any concerns.**

**If you would like to see Felicity and Thea's outfits, head on over to my Polyvore account. The link is in my profile and I'm under the same user there.**

**Okay enough chitchat. Enjoy the (super duper long) chapter that we have all been waiting for!**

….

Chapter 10: Eighteen Going on Thirty

It's Friday.

Usually, Friday means the end of the workweek for Oliver. Maybe grabbing dinner with Laurel and Tommy or going out for drinks. Maybe attending some fancy gala or fundraiser he doesn't particularly want to be at. But not this Friday.

Oliver lays awake in bed at least an hour before his alarm is set to go off, he doesn't know why he even bothers using that thing anymore, and stares at the ceiling. It shouldn't feel any different, like today stands out from any other Friday. However it does and he knows why.

It's Felicity's birthday.

It's Felicity's _eighteenth_ birthday.

The implications of that simple number are not lost on him, even though he kind of wishes they were. She's considered an adult now, a legal, consenting adult. While this doesn't erase the age gap between them entirely, at least now his thoughts aren't technically illegal. So that's a start.

It also makes the dream that he just woke up from seem a smidge less inappropriate. Although he's pretty sure that nothing in this world could ever make the things he had been doing to her with his mouth completely appropriate in any context. The image makes his stomach clench and brings a wave of heat through him. How the hell Oliver's supposed to keep things platonic between them is beyond him.

A knock at the door has Oliver shifting from his horizontal position so that he's seated with his back against the headboard. The action conveniently pools the dark green duvet in his lap, hiding the physical evidence of his dream from view.

"Hey Ollie, it's Thea. I'm giving you until the count of 10 and then I'm coming in. 1... 2..."

Oliver can't help but roll his eyes at his sister's antics.

"Thea, you can come in."

The door creaks as Thea slowly pushes it open, hand covering her eyes as she takes hesitant steps into the room.

"What are you doing?"

"Shielding my eyes and my innocence incase you and Felicity decided to celebrate early."

His sister is far too accepting of his, now marginally less, unsuitable feelings for her best friend, far too accepting and eerily supportive.

"Knock it off, Speedy. Just because you're all on board with it doesn't mean it suddenly becomes okay."

Thea reaches behind her with both hands, grabbing the door handle and backing up until it's tightly shut, before making her way over to his bed. The way she climbs on top of the duvet and then sits with legs crisscrossed in front of her, reminds him of all the early morning she came in as a little girl. She used to do it all the time; Christmas, birthdays, snow days to tell him school was cancelled, the times he came home after being kicked out of yet another expensive university. And every time, no matter how early or how hung-over he felt, Oliver would always give her his undivided attention.

Thea was the one girl in Oliver's life that he genuinely listened to when he was younger, before the Army. She was his baby sister, of course he did. He cared about every aspect of her life and always wanted to hear about her day no matter how uneventful it may have been. The only difference now is that she's wearing a blazer and dress pants instead of a tutu and a tiara and she's traded in her sparkly red "Toto" shoes, she insisted on calling "The Wizard of Oz" the "Toto movie" after she first saw it at age five, for a pair of bright red heels.

"I know. It's just fun giving you a hard time about it."

"I really wish you wouldn't."

"Oh come on, Ollie. She's eighteen now, which means that you can't hide behind the age thing anymore. Plus, we both know that's not the real problem here."

Oliver sighs in exasperation. He's beginning to think this whole thing was easier when Thea _didn't_ know about how he feels.

"There are a lot of other factors to think about. They don't magically go away because the law says eighteen is legal."

"No, but it makes everyone else seem like judgmental assholes for saying that you can't care about each other just because you've been alive longer than she has, if you ask me."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I didn't."

Thea rolls her eyes before sticking her tongue out at Oliver, causing him to let out an amused chuckle.

"Whatever, be a pain in the ass about it. But I'm warning you now; Felicity is an amazing and beautiful girl. She's also extremely intelligent, not that anyone here could ever forget that. She isn't going to sit around forever waiting for you to get your act together and decide that she's worth the fight, even though it should be pretty obvious that she is. If you don't make up your mind you might just lose your chance."

Oliver is prevented from voicing his reply by a voice calling from the hallway.

"Thea! Have you seen my panda flats anywhere? I swear to God if you threw them out I _will_ make you buy me a new pair!"

"Aaaand that's my cue to exit." Thea twists towards the hallway and yells, "Coming Birthday Girl!"

Pushing herself from her crisscrossed position, his sister slides easily off the smooth duvet cover and makes her way to the door. She pauses, turning to address Oliver in a quieter voice.

"I'm taking Felicity to lunch at that place with the awesome dim sum. It's her favorite, next to Big Belly and that little Bistro with the awesome imported coffee by the park. You should think about coming with us. Hey! Don't give me that look, I said _think_ and no one would find it weird that the Queen kids and their best family friend are out for lunch together."

"Seriously, Thea, where did you put them?"

"See ya later, Big Bro!"

And with that Oliver watches his sister duck out of the room so fast she blurs. There was a reason he gave her the nickname Speedy.

Oliver takes his time getting ready, his mind dwelling on what his sister said.

She was right; Felicity is beautiful and extremely intelligent. She shouldn't have to wait around for him to get his ass in gear. In fact, that idea of her doing just that almost makes him feel a little ashamed. All this time he's been so preoccupied with his own internal crisis over the situation that he hadn't stopped to think about how Felicity was handling it. He had assumed at first that she was freaked out by his actions, and then he thought that putting space between them when she had expressed her interest was best for her.

But he's not the only person directly affected by the situation. Felicity is as well and he had unknowingly been making all the decisions for the both of them. Granted he wasn't sure how deep her feelings went and his thought process had always been about what was best for her. He still hadn't given her much of a choice either way. The thought of putting her in a position where she is left to sit and wait, putting a part of her life on hold, is unsettling. Felicity is too vibrant and full of life to wait on the sidelines for someone else to call the shots.

Thea was right.

He really needs to get his shit together.

….

Oliver makes his way down the steps and into the kitchen, dressed in a grey suit that is probably way too expensive, briefcase dangling from one hand. The plan is to grab a thermos of coffee and then head out for Queen Consolidated, he's be early but there's certainly enough work for him to be doing during that time.

Rounding the corner, Moira comes into view, preparing herself a cup of coffee and plating a variety of, no doubt extremely fresh, fruits. She looks up at her son as he enters and smiles warmly at him.

"Good morning, Oliver."

"Morning Mom."

Oliver joins his mother on the side of the island and places a quick kiss on her forehead, squeezing her shoulder in greeting, before going to grab a thermos from one of the cabinets.

"Why don't you get a mug and come join your mother out on the patio for breakfast?"

A quick glance at his Rolex informs Oliver that he has thirty to forty minutes before he absolutely has to leave. That's more than enough time to sit with his mother, whom he has seen only briefly over the past two weeks between work and social functions and everything else.

"Sure, that would be nice."

They load up their plates and prepare their coffee before stepping through the sliding glass door and out onto the expansive stone patio. After setting down their breakfast on the glass table, mother and son situate themselves comfortably on the same side, facing away from the manor. The vast expanse of the Queens' backyard can be seen from where they sit. A pool lies off to the side with it's own separate patio, the same pool in which Felicity almost drowned during Oliver's Basic Training send off party.

The memory sends a chill through Oliver. He hadn't been around the pool area when it had initially happened, otherwise occupied with Sara Lance's tongue. But Oliver had heard Felicity's screams and the second it registered in his brain he left Sara high and dry, sprinting towards the pool. He remembers a watery blur of pink and yellow before diving into the, probably fifteen percent alcohol-filled, pool after her. Felicity had clung to him for dear life as he pulled her out, soaking wet and shivering from the cool night air. He remembers being so filled with rage at the group of idiot college students who had thought throwing a twelve-year-old girl who couldn't swim into a pool would be funny. The only thing that kept him from hitting one of them had been Felicity's weight in his arms. That seems like a lifetime ago now and almost ironic given the present circumstances, her life in danger again and Oliver doing everything he possibly can to keep her safe.

"Oliver?"

He's brought back from his, not particularly pleasant, walk down memory lance by Moira, who's looking at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry, I missed that. What did you say?"

"I asked if you had seen Felicity this morning before her and Thea left."

Oliver shakes his head no and takes a large swallow of his coffee, two sugars, no cream, and still slightly burning in temperature.

"Oh, well make sure you do and wish her a happy birthday. Eighteen, it's incredible. She's growing into such a beautiful young lady. Soon she'll be graduating college and starting her professional career, getting married."

College. Yet another thing Oliver hadn't thought about. Felicity would be returning to MIT in the fall, on the complete opposite side of the country where seeing her everyday would be impossible. The thought causes a slight pang in his chest.

"Mom, you have a couple years before you have to worry about that."

"I know. It's just; you all grow up so fast. I mean look at you, five years in the Army, leadership position in the family company. You're a whole different person from the one that left us five years ago and I wasn't there to watch you grow like I had been for the first twenty-four, twenty-five years of your life. It's a strange experience. You spend all these years dedicated to helping this person live and grow into who they are and then suddenly they don't need you anymore."

Oliver takes his mother's hand in his and smiles lovingly at her, which she returns with a watery smile of her own.

"You will _always_ be my mother and I will always love you. Just because I'm getting older and making my own way does not mean I don't need you in my life. I just need you in different ways than I used to. The same thing goes for Thea and even Felicity. Okay?"

He leans forward to place a kiss on the crown of his mother's head and pulls her into a hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

They sit that way for a beat, mother and son finding comfort in each other's embrace. He had missed this. Before his deployment, Oliver had taken the support of his mother for granted. She was always there for him and Thea, trying to make right every situation they had wronged and comforting them in ways no one else could. His immature, young adolescent self had called it smothering but now he realizes just how much worse things would have been without her.

Moira and Oliver separate from each other and spend the next few minutes nibbling on breakfast; fresh fruits and Russian sandwiches called _butterbrots_ that Raisa prepared on occasion.

"Actually mom, there is something I've been meaning to ask you about."

His mother holds a hand up to lightly cover her mouth as she finishes the bite she just took before looking at him expectantly.

"I've been thinking about getting my own place. Not too far from here but closer to the city. Maybe a penthouse on the outskirts?"

"Oliver, I hope you don't feel unwelcome here. I know things with your father are still… at odds and quite frankly might always be. But you are always welcome at home."

To be honest, he and Robert have never had a very close relationship to begin with. It's not even on the list of things that Oliver is currently trying to work through.

"No, no that's not it. I just think that it's time I get my own place. I have a stable job and more than enough money for it. Also, I'm thirty years old, sharing a home with my parents isn't exactly the most flattering living situation."

"Well, alright. I guess you do have a point. I can talk to Jeanine. She mentioned she was showing this new apartment complex in the city, high-end security, very private."

"Thanks, mom."

A quick glance at his watch shows that Oliver's time is up and that he needs to leave for Queen Consolidated if he doesn't want to be late.

"I have to get going, do you want to ride into QC with me?"

"Oh I am about to leave for Verdant to oversee the preparations for Felicity's birthday party tonight. Thank you for the offer, darling."

Oliver gives his mother a smile before ducking down to kiss the top of her head in goodbye, grabbing his suitcase, and heading back through the kitchen towards the town car no doubt waiting for him at the front door.

….

By twelve o'clock Oliver will be happy if he never has to read another partnership proposal again. He had been going through Bertinelli's drafted proposal and contract, looking for any weak spots or points of fault. So far he hasn't found any that would be grounds for outright rejection and he's been looking over it for almost three hours. The pounding in his head is evidence of that.

Luckily, Thea had texted Oliver, instructing him to meet her and Felicity in IT at noon if he wanted to grab lunch with them. He had accepted, deciding that lunch wouldn't hurt and would serve as a much-needed break from the grueling paperwork he was sifting through. Sliding one of the drawers in his desk open, Oliver grabs a bottle of Ibuprofen and downs two of the blue gel pills before making his way towards the elevator and the IT department.

The second the doors slide open on the correct floor, Oliver hears Felicity's tinkling laughter from down the hall. The sound instantly put him in a better mood and if his gait happens to speed up, well, that's pure coincidence.

His lifted mood is short-lived, however, when Oliver rounds the corner and finds the cause of her laughter.

It's his assistant/intern, whose name he learned is Barry, who seems to be the reason for Felicity's laughter. The kid standing by Felicity's chair, all awkward dangling limbs. He has this goofy smile on his face as he looks at Felicity, like a little puppy, while she laughs at something he must have said. Her hand rests gently on his scrawny arm and Oliver gets a sudden urge to separate it from his body.

"Psssst, what are we spying on?"

Oliver just about jumps out of his skin and ten feet into the air when Thea comes up behind him.

"Jesus!"

"Nope, just me. So, what are we eavesdropping on?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping."

"Course you weren't. Now let me see."

She leans around him to find what Oliver had previously been staring at. A surprised look crosses her face before she pulls back to smirk at her brother.

"Well would you look at that. Seems like you're not the only one with a crush, Ollie."

"Would you stop that?"

Thea raises her hands in a show of backing off after he snaps at her.

"Okay, okay. Geez. Who pissed in your Cheerios this morning?"

"I didn't have Cheerios. Now are we going to lunch or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's grab Felicity. If she can bear to part from her man piece, that is."

His sister steps forward and into the Intern Corner before Oliver can respond, leaving him to follow suit. He tries not to outright glare at Barry's head and instead focuses on Felicity. She looks beautiful, as always, in a light blue dress and the shoes she had been yelling about earlier. The little smiling pandas scream Felicity and it's one of the most adorable things he's ever seen.

"Hey Birthday Girl, you ready for dim sum and fresh air? This place reeks of cheap coffee and wasted paper."

Both Felicity and Barry startle a little at the intrusion. She immediately draws her hand away from Barry's arm and Oliver doesn't miss the way her eyes flicker between him and the kid before settling on Thea.

"Yeah, yup, let me just shut down the computer and grab my purse."

Felicity turns to do just that, leaving Oliver, Thea, and Barry standing in awkward silence. Thea looks expectantly at the kid, waiting for an introduction. Oliver is still lost on how he knows Felicity in the first place. Barry fidgets in place for a few seconds, deciding on what his best course of action is before stepping towards Thea with an outstretched hand.

"Hi, uh, I'm Barry. Barry Allen. I work for Mr. Queen as an intern here in Applied Sciences."

Felicity whirls around to face them, knocking over a pile of papers in the process.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so rude I forgot to introduce you. Thea, this is Barry. Barry, Thea Queen, my best friend. Oh crap. Those papers were organized by date filed and complaint number."

She drops to the floor, quickly gathering the papers together. Oliver is about to step forward and offer his assistance when Barry beats him to it, ducking to pile more of the papers on top of each other.

"Here, Felicity, let me help with that. I can come back when you're finished with lunch and help reorganize them. If you want me to, that is."

Has his intern always been this enthusiastically eager? Actually, yeah, now that Oliver thinks about it he kind of has been.

"Oh no, that's okay you really don't have to. I'm sure one of the other IT interns can help me out with this. You probably have a bunch to do in Applied Sciences with Defense Tech and everything."

Barry passes the last of the papers he's collected to Felicity and she adds them to a stack on the desk before grabbing her purse from beneath it. She faces Oliver and Thea, the first time the two of them have made real eye contact since he arrived here.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."

Felicity begins to walk towards the Queen siblings when Thea speaks up.

"Wait, Barry, would you like to join us?"

Three heads snap around to stare at Oliver's sister. Felicity is wide-eyed and looks almost nervous at the prospect. The kid, Barry, whatever, seems far too delighted by the idea. And Oliver, Oliver has an unexplainable desire to duct tape his sister's mouth shut.

"That would be – "

"Unfortunately not possible today. Barry has a lot of work to get done in Applied Sciences. Don't you, Barry?"

For a second he almost feels bad about shutting the kid down when Oliver sees his face fall, almost.

"Uh, yeah, Mr. Queen is right. We've got new drafts coming in and a couple contracts I need to file."

Felicity speaks up then, turning to face her fellow intern and apparently friend.

"Oh... Okay. Well then, you should come by Verdant tonight. If you can."

"I would like that."

The two exchange a smile that leaves a sinking feeling in Oliver's stomach. Thea's words from earlier this morning come back to him.

_She isn't going to sit around forever waiting for you to get your act together. _

Oliver is past the point of denying his feelings for Felicity. He knows what he feels and he knows there's no use in fighting it anymore. That doesn't necessarily mean he's sure of admitting them to her, especially after all he's done to keep her away. But seeing her with Barry, an age appropriate guy who is clearly interested in her, reminds Oliver that if he doesn't make a move, he has to be okay with letting her go. And he's not.

"Earth to Oliver. You ready to go?"

He's pulled from his thoughts by Felicity's questioning tone and her hand gently resting on the inside of his elbow. Warmth immediately blossoms from where she's touching him, even with the material of his dress shirt between her hand and his skin. It's the first time she's directly addressed Oliver today and the sudden relaxation of his body makes him realize just how much he had been anticipating their interaction.

"Yeah, let's go. Do you need me to carry anything?"

"No, it's just my purse. I'm completely capable enough to carry that. But thank you for the offer."

Her hand trails down his arm and slides to the pulse point at his wrist where her fingers idle for half a second before dropping away, sending Oliver's heart into overdrive. What is she doing? As if he hadn't suffered enough from their accidental contact and his not-so-logical actions around her as of late. Now she's initiating touches and lingering in ways that are, for all intents and purposes, innocent but somehow more sensual than any contact he's ever been on the receiving end of.

Oliver has the sudden urge to loosen his tie and maybe pop open the top button or two of his dress shirt. The AC on this floor must be busted or something. He'll have to talk to maintenance about that.

"Alright, well we're off then. It was great meeting you, Barry. Hopefully we'll see you at the party tonight."

Thea links her arm with Felicity's free one as she smiles at the intern.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Have a nice lunch, Felicity."

"Thanks. Bye, Barry!"

Felicity throws another smile at Barry before Thea tugs her towards the elevators, Oliver falling into step next to them.

"Well he was pretty cute."

He could really use that earlier mention duct tape right about now.

"Yeah, Barry's a nice guy and he's really smart."

"Sounds like the total package. What do you think, Ollie? He is your assistant, after all."

Oliver glares at his sister over Felicity's head before schooling his features into a pleasant smile when she turns to look at him.

"Uh huh, he's a good _kid_."

The emphasis on kid may have been a little unnecessary.

….

"What about those faux leather Alexander McQueen shorts and the adorable cap-sleeved lace crop top I got you, that you never wear, for tonight?"

"For me or for you?"

"For you, obviously. I've had my outfit picked out for weeks."

They've been sitting at the table munching on dim sum for almost thirty minutes and all that Thea and Felicity have talked about are party details. Oliver can't decide which is worse. This or going through the Bertinelli contract. But then Felicity will laugh at something Thea says or smile across the table at him and it's not so bad.

"Thea, you might as well take the shorts. You're the only one who ever wears them and probably ever will."

"But the one time you tried them on they made your butt look _so good_. I could not deprive you of that and still call myself a good friend."

Oliver almost chokes as he takes a sip of water and quickly fumbles for his napkin. Felicity reaches a hand over to soothingly rub his back as he coughs and it only serves to prolong his breathing problem for a few moments.

"Geez, Ollie, did you forget how to drink water?"

"I just –" he pauses to let out a final cough " – thought I saw something, outside."

Both girls stare at him like he's grown a second head, neither of them buying his explanation but not really knowing what to say in reply. Felicity's hand still rests lightly against his upper back, moving in small, soothing circles.

"I'm fine."

As he straightens out, Oliver feels her small hand fall away and instantly misses the contact. But it's probably for the best.

"Ooookay. So, uhm, are you going to stop by Verdant tonight?"

Honestly, he had been debating it in his head, weighing the pros and cons, the maybes and the what ifs. But right now, looking at Felicity's hopeful face, Oliver knows what his choice would have been in the end. His choice will always be Felicity and her happiness. In fact, it's not really a choice at all.

"Yeah, yeah I'll be there. It starts at nine, right?"

Her face lights up like a million twinkling lights and Oliver feels a sense of accomplishment at being the reason why.

"Mhmm, party starts at nine, cake cutting is at ten. Tommy and Laurel will be there. Digg will be there, too. He helped organize the security for the event to make sure there are no… incidents. It's going to be a lot of fun. You don't even have to stay the whole time. Just as long or as short as you want."

How she doesn't run out of air when she babbles like that is a mystery to Oliver. She _does_ pause at the end and take a breath so at least he knows that she's breathing. But God help him, it only makes her that much more endearing. Actually, everything about her seems to be designed to draw him in, like a bee to honey.

"Felicity."

He gently takes her hand in his.

"Mhmm?"

"I'm sure it will be great. I'm looking forward to it."

"Okay. Good."

For a moment they're the only two in the room. Her hand in his is all he feels, her shining smile that reflects in her eyes is all he sees. She's the only thing and everything.

But then there's the sound of shattering glass as a waiter drops an empty cup to the floor and the people around applaud him. It breaks the bubble and brings Oliver back to the world around them. He gives her hand a light squeeze before letting go and turning back to his meal, trying his best to ignore Thea's perceptive smirk and the light pink dusting across Felicity's cheeks.

The three of them eat in silence, the low din of the adjacent restaurant patrons providing a comfortable background noise. It's not until after dessert is ordered that conversation returns to topics heavier than appropriate lunchtime sweets and which dessert yields itself the best to birthday candles, which Thea of course has with her.

"So, have you heard from your mom at all today?"

Felicity pauses mid-reach for her glass of water at Thea's inquiry.

"Uhm, she tried to call me while I was at work but I missed it."

It's a lie. Oliver can tell before the words even finish escaping her mouth. A glance at his sister reveals to him that she's not buying what Felicity's attempting to sell either.

"Lis, she's your mother. I know you two were never really close or on the best of terms, but if she tried to call you – "

"I told you, I missed the call. And you're right, we aren't close at all. Actually, we're the farthest you can be while still being related by blood. I get a small percentage of the trust she set up for me once a month and that's it. I guess now it won't be so regulated since I'm eighteen but it's not like there's much to regulate anymore, what with the majority of her accounts being frozen and all. I'm surprised they're giving me any of it."

The dessert comes then, a slice of rich chocolate cake for Felicity and some fruity pastry for Thea. Oliver stuck with plain coffee. Felicity immediately grabs her fork and stabs at the cake as if it's done her a serious injustice.

"So I guess we're not doing candles then… But seriously Felicity, she's been trying to reach out to you since the arrest. Don't you think she might have something important to say? Maybe she's realized her wrongs and is trying to make amends."

"She knew what she was doing. Karen is a lot of things but an idiot is not one of them. So maybe she should have thought about how this would all affect me _before_ she decided that large scale embezzlement was a good career choice."

Oliver stays quiet throughout the exchange. He knows about the trial and he knows that Felicity and Karen are not and never were close. That's where his knowledge on the subject ends. It's not his place to get involved and advise Felicity when she hasn't asked him to. But it doesn't stop him from wishing that he could say or do something to help her and the situation.

"I just think that – "

"I'm done talking about this, okay Thea?"

He's never seen Felicity snap at someone or heard her so much as raise her voice before. And even though this could be considered tame, Oliver can see the turmoil and the storm beneath the surface. Coming from Felicity it's more than a little bit intimidating.

"Whatever you wish. It _is_ your birthday after all. Sorry to put a damper on it."

Felicity sighs before looking up at her best friend and giving her a soft smile, one that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"It's okay. I know you're just trying to help and I appreciate that. But Karen and I will never have a good relationship and I've come to accept that. Let's just move on from this conversation and not dwell on it, okay?"

"… Okay. Now, can I have a bite of that cake? It looks divine."

The rest of lunch goes off without a hitch. They finish dessert, Oliver covers the bill, and all topics family related are avoided. Felicity, for her part, does a good job of continuing on as if the conversation about Karen never happened. She jokes with Thea and talks to Oliver about the Defense Tech plans and Applied Sciences. She smiles and laughs and goofs around with Thea on the walk back to QC, at one point they try synchronizing their steps but Felicity is in flats and Thea has heels on so it doesn't keep for very long. There's only one sign of distress that stands out to Oliver.

Felicity won't stop fidgeting with the ring on her right hand.

….

It's a good thing his earlier headache has dissipated because the second Oliver steps foot in Verdant the bass starts sending vibrations through his body. It's a quarter 'til ten and the place is already flooded with people, bodies grinding and writhing to the pulsing beat of the music, arms outstretched in either exhilaration or an attempt not to spill drinks. The crowd is a mix of all ages, but there's a significant amount of people whom Oliver suspects to be underage or at least younger then twenty-one. Luckily, security is extra tight tonight and that majority of them are wearing neon wristbands, signaling their age.

Scanning the crowd for Felicity and Thea is futile. There's no way he'll be able to find them in the masses, even if he seems to be acutely aware of Felicity whenever she's in close proximity to him. Instead, Oliver makes his way towards the bar, knowing already that he's going to need a drink. Or three. Maybe a couple shots.

"Hey Ollie!"

As he approaches the bar, Oliver spots a familiar, smiling blonde waving at him from behind it.

"Sara. I didn't know you worked here."

It's nice to find a familiar face in the crowd of inebriated thrill seekers and he quickly makes himself comfortable leaning against the bar.

"It's a new gig, just on the weekends. Everything is really great at The League, my training facility, but I missed bartending a little. So when Tommy asked me to work as back up on his busier nights I accepted and here we are. What can I get you?"

"Hmmm… how's the house draft?"

"Definitely worth trying. Let me grab you one. Half pint or full?"

Just then there's a commotion on stage and Oliver turns to find a cake being brought on, Thea and Felicity in tow. The sight of the blonde, beaming and laughing with his sister, brings a smile of his own to Oliver's face. Until he sees what she's wearing, that is.

There's no doubt in his mind that Thea had a hand in Felicity's outfit choice for the evening. She's wearing a sequin cardigan that just barely comes together at the ends in an attempt to hide the top she's wearing underneath, one that clearly does not meet the waistband of her skintight jeans. Hot pink heels make her legs seem a mile long, even from Oliver's place at the bar and her hair spills freely over her shoulders in large, loose curls.

The look on his face is probably comical to anyone paying him any attention, jaw dropped and eyes slightly bulging out of his head. Oliver imagines he looks something like a cartoon.

"Ollie, hello, what size beer do you want?"

Shaking his head and turning back around Oliver tries to move his thoughts away from Felicity and her outfit, although to be fair it's less revealing than Thea's, much to his dismay. He's not even sure how his sister got out of the house dressed like that.

"Sorry. Give me a full."

"Coming right up!"

Sara ducks down to grab a pint glass and fills it from the tap before sliding it in front of him.

"Thanks."

"It's on the house. Now if you don't need anything else I'm gonna slide on down and get my flirt on with the hot girl on the other side of the bar. I've never been more attracted to a fedora in my life. See ya, Ollie."

He chuckles at Sara as she subtly adjusts her top and saunters down to the side of the bar to chat up a woman with dark hair and slightly exotic features.

"Oliver! Oliver, hey!"

Turning around on the barstool he's now occupied, Oliver finds Laurel and Tommy making their way towards him, hand in hand. They look every bit the power couple they are, all clean cut and charisma. Oliver stands to greet them, pulling Laurel into a quick hug and patting Tommy on the back.

"Laurel, you look beautiful, as always."

"And _you_ are being quite the charmer this evening. Thank you. Did you talk to Sara? I was on my way over to say hi but it looks like she's otherwise occupied at the moment."

"Yeah, I did. But I'm afraid we may have lost her for the night."

Laurel leans around Oliver to peek at her sister, loving smile on her face, before pulling back.

"Aw, let the little sis have some fun, Laurel. Plus, this just means I have more of you to myself for the evening."

Tommy wraps his arm around Laurel's waist and pulls her into his side, planting a loud kiss to her cheek and earning him a heartfelt laugh and a soft shove on the chest before she falls further into him. They really are a great couple.

"So have you seen Felicity yet?"

Has he seen her? Ha, yeah he definitely has.

"I just got here a few minutes ago but I saw her get on stage with Thea."

"Doesn't she look beautiful? And so grown up. God, I can't believe she's _eighteen_!"

Just then the music cuts off and there's a short-lived pitch from the speakers as a microphone gets turned on. Thea stands on stage, mic in one hand and other arm wrapped around Felicity's shoulders. A plastic tiara with something pink and fluffy at its base is now perched on top of Felicity's head.

"Hellllooo everyone!"

The crowd yells and cheers in reply to his sister's greeting and she signals with her hand to quite down after a few moments.

"Tonight is a very special night here at Verdant. Does anyone know why? What could we _possibly_ be celebrating?"

Felicity laughs in delight on stage as shouts of 'birthday' and 'Felicity' and 'eighteen' ring through the audience along with one very enthusiastic exclamation of 'she's legal! Fuck yeah!'

"That's right! It's Felicity Smoak's 18th birthday ladies and gentlemen! Now, would you all kindly join me in serenading our gorgeous Birthday Girl? On the count of three, ready? One… two… three! Happy Birthday to you…"

Oliver joins the crowd in the age-old song, laughing occasionally at Laurel's attempt to stay in tune and the slightly out-of-sync words being sung, or rather shouted, throughout the room.

Felicity's bubbling laughter echoes through the speakers as Thea pulls her close. Oliver thinks he'll never get enough of hearing that sound. It's so genuine and happy and all he wants is to hear it everyday for the rest of his life. Watching her on stage right now, spotlight shining on the swaying form of her and his sister and playing through the golden strands of her hair, it's easy to forget everything else in the world. It's easy to forget his parents, Bertinelli, the press, the age difference, easy to forget everything but Felicity and how perfectly she embodies her given name in this exact moment.

But then people are shouting and lights are dimmed and music is restarted as the song ends and the party comes back in full swing.

"Oh that was so cute! I hope the photographers got good pictures of that!"

"Laurel, you and Moira hired five of them. I'm sure somebody did. Now, let's get some champagne to celebrate, shall we? Oliver, you want any or are you good with your beer?"

Oliver looks down to see his drink is only halfway empty before shaking his head.

"No, thanks, I'm good. You guys go grab some. I'll be right here."

He smiles at his two best friends as they nod and Tommy leads them back around to the opposite side of the circular bar and out of sight.

Turning back to the crowd Oliver tries his best to spot Felicity. Now that he knows what she's wearing it shouldn't be as difficult. And it's not. He finds her within two minutes of beginning his search. Unfortunately he wishes he hadn't.

She's dancing with Barry. It's not the close contact grinding that the people around them are partaking in. Instead Felicity moves with the beat, hands above her head and twirling on occasion. Barry does some awkward movements next to her that cause Felicity to laugh before she grabs him in an endearing hug. It's almost worse than the lewd grinding.

The dancing goes on for another five minutes, it feels like an eternity, before the two make their way to the bar. Oliver waits approximately one minute and thirty seconds, just long enough for them to be served two glasses of water, before he wanders over.

"Hey, Felicity."

"Oliver! You're here!"

Suddenly his arms are full of her warmth and Oliver doesn't remember why he was so agitated in the first place. He returns the hug in kind, large arms easily locking around her tiny waist, and inhales, letting the feel and smell of her surround him and take over his senses. It brings him back to the moment when this all began, right in this spot on the day of his return. When she wrapped him tightly in her arms and he realized that she wasn't the little girl he had pictured her as anymore. It was a little over a month ago but it seems like it's been ages since.

Slowly Oliver leans back, breaking the hug but not every point of contact as one of his hands slides down to gently grab hers.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Felicity looks at him in confusion, probably at the somber tone in his voice, before replying.

"Yeah, sure. Let me just say goodbye to Barry."

She turns away, hand lingering for a beat before fully leaving his, and addresses the kid.

"Hey, I had a really great time dancing with you but Oliver needs to talk to me about something really quick. I hope you don't mind. I'm not trying to ditch you, I swear. You really are a great dancing partner."

Barry laughs a little at that before shaking his head.

"You and I both know that's not true but I appreciate the sentiment. Go ahead. I think I see Caitlin and Cisco anyway. Happy Birthday, Felicity."

Oliver watches as the kid leans over and gives Felicity a brief hug, before walking past him.

"Mr. Queen, enjoy your evening."

"You too, Barry."

The kid – _Barry_ isn't all that bad. Now Oliver feels a little bit like a jerk for sticking him with all that extra paperwork when he got back from lunch.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Do you mind if we go somewhere quieter? It's kind of hard to hear in this place."

She smiles softly up at him.

"Sure, lead the way."

They fall in step next to each other as Oliver guides them towards and up the stairs, hand resting on the small of Felicity's back. He can feel the heat from her skin through the flimsy material of her cardigan. It causes his hand to flex for a minute before relaxing once again. Neither of them says a word as they come to the second level and Oliver opens the door to the large storage room, gently leading Felicity inside before closing the door behind them.

It's much quieter in here, even though the base still thrums through his body. Or is that just his heart rate picking up pace?

"What's going on, Oliver? Is everything okay?"

Now that they're here, he's realizing that he's really not sure what he's doing. Like just about everything else in his life that has to do with Felicity, Oliver hadn't thought any of this through. One second she was stunningly euphoric on stage, the next she was in the arms of Barry Allen. Then he was crossing over to her at the bar in the spot where it all started, asking her to talk, about what he wasn't sure.

"Oliver, did Digg talk to you? Is something wrong? Am I in danger?"

Of course she would assume that. Oliver hadn't even considered what this would look like to her and he has to act quickly to quell the panic creeping into her voice.

"No, no nothing is wrong."

"Oh, okay. Then what did you want to talk about?"

He starts pacing in the limited space of the storage room between the desk by the two-way mirror and the racks of liquor in varying colors and bottles. He's at a complete and utter loss as of what to say to her.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong? You're kind of worrying me with the pacing."

Felicity steps up to him, placing a gentle hand at the crease on the inside of his elbow. She looks up at him with bright blue eyes full of concern, beseeching him to tell her what's going on so that she can help him. It's the moment that tips the scales and sends him stumbling towards the rabbit hole.

"I care about you."

She doesn't get it. He can see it in her bemused look before she even responds.

"I care about you too, Oliver."

His hands lift of their own accord and gently encircle the place just above her elbows.

"I mean I _really_ care about you, Felicity."

Her head tilts to the side, puzzled smile still in place and eyebrows pulled together slightly.

"Oh… kay? I really care about you too. We're practically family."

"No, that's not it. You're not… that's not what I meant."

He pulls away then and walks across to the opposite side of the storage room, back turned to her, forefinger and thumb rubbing at his temple. What is he doing?

"Oliver, you're not making any sense. I can't read your mind, even though it would be a lot easier sometimes if I could. Tell me what's going on and we can figure this out together."

He turns to face Felicity, taking all of her in. She's standing with hands clasped in front of her, idly toying with the ever-present ring on her finger. Her hair has been pulled over to one side, exposing where her neck and shoulder meet. The tattoo he once caressed on a whim peeks out over the edge of the waistband of her jeans. Her eyes shine with concern and compassion and a sincerity that he's never seen echoed in any other's.

Felicity.

She's so damn beautiful.

"Felicity, I…"

He can't do this. He has to do this. He doesn't even know what _this_ is.

"Oliver?"

Fuck it.

He's crossing the room in a matter of seconds; his hands gently taking hold of her face and his mouth pressing tenderly to hers.

He'll never be the same again. No matter what happens next, if she continues the kiss or if she shoves him away in disgust, Oliver will never be the same. _This_ will never be the same. He's reached the edged of the rabbit hole and now he's tumbling down with no end in sight.

But Oliver gives her this decision, this choice. Where they go from here is completely in Felicity's hands and it's terrifying. But it's also exhilarating because he's been fighting this for weeks, months, and he's finally giving in. He's finally letting go.

But then she's not responding and his heart begins to sink. He pulls back to look at her.

"Felicity?"

Her eyes are open wide in what he assumes is shock. But she hasn't run away or started screaming so that's good.

"Felicity, talk to me, please."

"Do you kiss all your sisters like that? Because there's a word for that and it rhymes with smincest."

A smile starts to make its way across her face and the relief that floods through Oliver can't be contained as he huffs out a laugh.

"If you still think I see you as a sister then you'd be very wrong."

"I think I need some more convincing on the subject."

She doesn't have to tell him twice.

Oliver crashes his lips back to Felicity's and this time there's not hesitation, no waiting on either end. Their mouths slant against each other instantly, tongues peeking out shyly at first before taking bolder strokes against one another. Each one of them takes their turn exploring the other's mouth, learning what they taste like for the first time.

Felicity's hands come up to card through Oliver's cropped hair and he groans into her mouth when she tugs at the strands on the back of his neck. More, he needs more but it's hard to do when she's so much shorter than he is. So without a second thought Oliver's hands slide down from where they somehow ended up at her waist, over the curve of her ass, pausing to kneed the flesh there for a second and drawing a moan from her mouth, before tugging at the backs of her thighs.

Felicity takes the hint and hops up to wrap her legs around Oliver's waist, pulling her mouth from his for a second and giving him perfect access to her neck. He quickly rains soft kisses up and down the delicate, pale column before sucking over her pulse point, causing her to cry out.

"Oliver!"

God, he's dreamt of her gasping his name like that so many times, both in his sleeping and waking hours. It sounds so much better than he ever imagined it would and sends a bolt of heat shooting straight through him. Her hands cling to the back of Oliver's head, holding his mouth against her neck as she pants above him. He nips at the spot that he's been occupied with for the past minute, now a satisfying purple, the surrounding area red from his stubble rubbing against her skin.

That's his mark on her skin, his brand on her body. The sight causes him to groan.

Felicity pulls his mouth back to hers, pressing urgent, openmouthed kisses against it as her hands slide down his neck and around his shoulders to unbutton the top one, two buttons of his dress shirt. Oliver takes this as permission and he moves her hands away, sliding his own to push the loose fitting cardigan over her shoulders and down her arms. It catches at her elbows and he fumbles with the singular button holding it together. Once it's released Felicity pulls the garment off completely before returning her hands to his shoulder, finding purchase as she rocks her hips against his own. Oliver's knees buckle beneath him and his breath catches as he mumbles against her mouth.

"Shit, Felicity."

He stumbles slightly, bumping into one of the racks and knocking a bottle to the floor where it shatters.

The noise pulls Oliver and Felicity apart, as they survey the mess they made. Glass and amber liquid cover the floor. Her sequin sweater lays just to the right of the mess, crumbled and haphazardly thrown in their urgency. The tiara she donned earlier also lies forgotten on the floor.

But none of that matters because there's a buzzing in Oliver's ears that pulses with his racing heart. Every nerve ending in his body feels like a livewire.

"Maybe we should – " Felicity pauses, still trying to catch her breath through kiss-swollen lips and Oliver can't help but be a little proud of the affect he has on her. " – Maybe we shouldn't do this here."

Admittedly she's right. But it doesn't stop Oliver from leaning back in and pressing his mouth to hers. The kiss is gentle, sweeter than the urgent, messy ones they shared less than a minute ago. He captures her bottom lip between his and sucks at it, nipping gently before lightly pressing his mouth fully back to hers.

They spend a few more minutes like that. Oliver's arms support her weight, one banded around her waist, the other wrapped beneath the backs of her thighs still wrapped tightly around him. Felicity cups the back of his neck in both of her hands, thumbs gently running back and forth over the space behind his ears. Their kisses eventually reduce to small pecks until they part completely, foreheads resting gently against one another and eyes still closed, basking in the blissful stupor they're both in.

"Happy Birthday, Felicity."

….

**Author's Note: Woo that was a looooong chapter (nearly 9k words). Don't expect the rest of them to be this long.**

**I hope this lived up to your expectations. I got extremely excited writing the entire party bit. So I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.**

**Please, as usual, type your thoughts in the little box below and hit enter or comment or review or whatever it says. I deeply appreciate each and every one of your thoughts. (Sorry I didn't respond to last chapter's. Like I said, I got really excited writing this.)**

**Again, I really hope this lived up to expectations.**

**- Bri**


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